


Tainted and Possessed

by cafrye017



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-11 02:02:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 191,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13514433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafrye017/pseuds/cafrye017
Summary: The Empyreans, or Sanctified, had decided that too much demon blood lie within the population.  The Mephistophelian, or Forsaken, were their target. The Foresaken were enslaved and ruled over while the Sanctified auctioned them off and controlled their lives. They would never let demon blood taint their idea of perfection.





	1. Welcome to Hell

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Naruto, the manga or the anime. The plot of the story is mine.
> 
> There will be rape mentioned in a later chapter but it will be a criminal ordeal, it will not be glamorized.

He had been captured during the cleansing. The Empyreans, or Sanctified, had decided that too much demon blood lie within the population. They didn’t care they had already enslaved the others and tried to control their “breeding”, as they called it. No, they decided certain clans should be destroyed. They were the just ones, the right ones, the divine ones, the ones with angel blood.

The Uzumaki clan had been the first. Their long life span and knack for healing from, what should have been, fatal injuries was a problem to the Sanctified. The Empyreans were supposed to be the supreme half breeds, not those in the Mephistophelian, or Forsaken, category. Next, they came for the Uchiha. The visual capabilities demon blood seemed to give them was a threat to the Hyuga faction, one of the most well-known families with some of the purest angel mutations. 

He didn’t understand why they spared him and his brother, if “spare” is the right word. The Sanctified had made them both watch as they executed their mother and father within their own household. Itachi had already awakened his advanced eyesight long ago, but that is what had awakened Sasuke’s. To sit there and watch as his mother and father’s warm blood ran from their bodies across the floor to his kneeling knees. Sasuke knew his older brother only remained passive to keep him alive, Itachi could have destroyed the executioners in one quick movement. 

Later, they would tell him it was because having only two Uchiha Mephistophelians, instead of an entire clan, would drive up their price on the auction block, besides they were both males, so they had accomplished their goal. No more pure-blooded from their clan could possibly be born. They shipped them to opposite ends of the market, Itachi was to stay close to their clan’s homeland while Sasuke was shackled, with his eyes sealed, within a slave trade truck for what seemed like days.

They offered him no food and barely gave him enough water to drink. He had to either go to the bathroom on himself or hold it. The shackles made sleeping even difficult. Sasuke’s biceps were shackled together along with his wrists behind his back. His ankles were shackled to those chains which caused him to stay in a constant kneeling position. He may have been an Uchiha but he was only seven, usually they were collected for slave trade when they were twelve or thirteen. 

Sasuke made it through the journey smelling like death warmed over and weak enough to collapse as soon as they loosened the chains. They yanked him up threatening him with a beating if he couldn’t make it to his cell. It would take a while to reach that destination. 

After walking what felt like miles, the jailers stripped him, doused him with cold water, and quickly sanitized his small body before wrapping him in some other clothing. The entire thing was disorienting without the ability to see. They then poked and prodded him along until he heard them unlock a metal door.

“Ok, you demon shit, here are your luxury accommodations,” one of the voices he had been hearing during the entire ordeal began. “Let me show you, what the divine think your worth.” The sealing cloth fell from his eyes and all that filled his vision was a dark cell, with straw as a bed and another kid his age kneeling in the corner. “Let’s not forget your jewelry,” the man blurted as the shackles were again slammed unto his weak frame.

“Oh look, we even happen to have someone your age. Maybe you guys can become little demonic buddies and receive your beatings together. I am sure all the other kids will find that rather entertaining,” the jailer mocked as he headed to the door. 

As soon as the man left, Sasuke fell unto his side and let his sorrow overtake him. What the hell was he going to do? He had no idea where he was and from the look of the other kid and the cell, this was not the nicest place to be. He suddenly felt someone nudging him with an elbow and he looked to see what the hell the other boy could possibly want.

“I am sorry if I hit somewhere that hurt but I can’t really see you right now, just hear you. That corner behind me is the warmest spot. They didn’t chain you to the wall so you are welcome to it,” the other member of the cell was saying as Sasuke turned to look at him. His eyes were blindfolded, but not sealed, and his clothing ragged along his back. Had he been whipped?

The other boy listened as the new slave’s chains moved ever so slightly. The chains sounded light enough for the other person to be his age, maybe the jailer wasn’t just getting his hopes up. All the others were twelve or older and had some major advantages. Maybe the two of them had a shot to get through the day without getting beat by more than just the guards. 

“How do you know I am not chained to the wall if you can’t see?” Sasuke asked.

“They blindfold me a lot, they say my eyes are creepy. The chains for the walls are heavier and make a different sound. Come on, you will need your rest, they will be dragging us out to the work yard come sunrise,” he answered.

Sasuke watched as the boy hobbled over on his knees to the back corner, his head was cocked to one side, listening for him to move. Sasuke managed to find just enough strength to get to his knees and follow his cellmate’s example.

The one with the blindfold listened as the other boy got closer. His movements were slow and slightly clumsy. This must have been his first time in shackles. His breathing sounded off. How long had it been since he had been fed? Had he gotten any water recently?

When Sasuke felt the temperature difference of the floor he finally realized how cold he actually was. He let himself collapse on the warmer straw and close his eyes. That only lasted a few minutes as a new sound filled the area.

It was screaming, blood curdling screaming, following by the sound of something ripping skin. Sasuke immediately found a way back to his knees and looked to the other kid as his head swung in that direction. His cellmate’s head was again cocked to the side as he listened carefully. He didn’t look bothered in the least.

“What’s going on?” Sasuke asked, worried he might be next.

“Well,” the other boy blindly looked in his direction, “we didn’t finish the job they gave us to do today. I have already been through my whipping if you haven’t noticed or are you blindfolded too?”

“I saw that the back of your shirt was ripped if that’s was you mean, but if you were whipped, shouldn’t there be more blood?”

“I don’t bleed for long, I tend to heal quickly,” he answered. “I mean, we Uzumakis are sort of known for that.”

“Uzumaki? I thought that clan was destroyed years ago.”

“Seven years ago, actually. My mom and dad died during that cleansing but not before Dad saved me. The slaves that had to clean up the aftermath found me hours later and decided it was best to raise me themselves. I guess I’ll be worth a ton in auction someday, not that it matters to me.”

“So, you have been here for seven years?” Sasuke questioned. “How old are you?”

“I’m seven, been here since the day I was born,” he answered. “My name is Naruto, by the way.”

“Wait, you are telling me you only know this?” Sasuke was almost crying. Living here the rest of his life would be the very hell they thought his demon blood came from.

“Yeah. I know it sounds horrible, well, it is, but this is all I’ve known. At least I have nothing good to compare it too. Hey, you mind getting this blindfold off so I can actually see you? If we are going to be talking I’d like to see who I am talking to,” Naruto asked.

“I thought you said your eyes were creepy,” Sasuke stated as he tried to find a way to remove Naruto’s blindfold. It came down to untying it with his teeth from the back of the blonde’s head. As soon as Naruto found it loosening, he made a motion for Sasuke to back up and shook his head just enough for it to fall down around his neck. Naruto raised his head blinking his eyes as they adjusted to being used. They were just blue, not creepy at all. 

“Black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. Maybe an Uchiha?” Naruto began to guess as he studied Sasuke for a minute. “Is your sight activated yet? I mean, usually they’d have your eyes sealed if it was but maybe they thought you too weak to use it right now.”

“How would you know anything about the Uchiha if you’ve been stuck here your whole life?”

“I see all the different types of Forsaken come through here. I have kind of made it a guessing game to figure out where someone is from before they tell me,” he answered.

“My name is Sasuke and I do have my sight. Why do you care?” Sasuke questioned as he looked him over. “And I heard the Uzumakis had red hair. Yours is blonde. And what are those scars from on your face anyway?”

Naruto chuckled at that, “You’re kind of funny. I don’t know why I care, just curious, I guess. Maybe one of my parents had blonde hair? The scars are from the day they found me. I guess my father marked me like this for some reason. I call them my whiskers.”

“Well, that’s a great gift from a father. Why would you want to scar a baby? Your clan must have been weird.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Naruto answered back as he rolled his eyes. He then looked down and caught his blindfold with his chin and somehow managed to work it back up to his eyes with his shoulders. “We better get some sleep before the work day starts. They may go easy on you since it will be your first day, but not on me.”

Sasuke then watched as Naruto flopped on his side onto the floor, he followed suit with a little more grace and felt his exhaustion fully catch up with him. He was asleep in minutes. Naruto, on the other hand, listened for anything that might give a hint to what was in store for the next day.  
***  
Naruto awoke early listening to the sounds outside the small barred window he knew was to his right. He didn’t want to believe what he was hearing. He quickly turned his head to where he knew Sasuke was sleeping and muttered under his breath. There was no way that could possibly be the chore they were about to do for Sasuke’s first day. If it was, they might break him without a single beating.

“Fuck,” the word escaped Naruto’s lips before he could control himself. He heard Sasuke stir and he began begging as quietly as possible that he wasn’t right.

Sasuke awoke to Naruto muttering something. He went to rub his eyes and then was quickly reminded that his arms were bound. He slowly got himself up on his knees and tried rubbing his eyes on the shoulders of the thin shirt he wore. He then looked at Naruto. Even with the blindfold Naruto looked worried, maybe even horrified. 

“Naruto, what’s going on?” Sasuke questioned as he scooted a little closer to the only soul he knew in this horrible place.

“Uh, well, I think something bad is happening today,” Naruto answered and then started biting his bottom lip as he turned to face the small window. He knew telling him now would at least dull the shock ever so slightly but this was not something he ever imagined telling anyone. “I think, I think we are burning bodies today. The bodies from the most recent raids.”

Naruto heard the quick intake of breath and the shuttering of the chains. Sasuke’s breathing then stopped for a moment and then began again shallow and quick. Naruto moved a little closer to him, trying to be ready to catch him with his shoulder if he passed out.

“Are you saying they will be burning my clan today?” he asked almost inaudibly. “They are just burning them with no ceremony, no offered prayers, nothing?” Sasuke couldn’t understand it. How could they? They were at least somewhat human right? Those people were mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. What if, what if he had to burn his parents?

Suddenly, both boys heard the door to their cell shake. Both turned their heads but only one saw the sneer on the jailer’s face. He quickly pulled the keys from his belt and unlocked the door while keeping his beady, little eyes on the Uchiha.

“Looks like you might to get to see some of your family and friend’s faces today, Uchiha. Oh, they are a little bloated and smell, but I am sure they are recognizable,” the jailer jeered. He swung the door open and walked right up to Sasuke with his hand outstretched about to grab his neck. His hand never made contact with Sasuke, but the side of the jailer’s face made contact with the floor.

“Don’t you fuckin’ say shit to him like that and don’t you dare touch him. He’ll have enough to deal with without dealing with you too, you bastard!” Naruto yelled. 

Well, Sasuke thought it came from Naruto’s mouth but it had a weird, deep echo to it. He studied the part of Naruto’s face that he could see. His scars looked different and were his teeth sharper? Maybe it was the extra light from the small window that allowed him to see better, the sun had come up enough to light the cell a bit.

Sasuke backed up as quickly as he could on his knees as the jailer lifted himself to his feet glaring at Naruto. The blond seemed to almost be looking at him from the side and there was the weirdest smirk on his face. What was that idiot smirking about? He may have gotten a hit in when the jailer wasn’t looking but Naruto was now the focus of his attention.

“Oh, you are back up on your feet. That took you long enough. Too bad I can’t see you. I would have loved to see your dumb face smack into the block floor. Tell me you at least left a little blood on it as a souvenir,” Naruto jeered mocking the jailer. His voice still seemed off and his teeth definitely looked like they could do some damage. 

“You possessed little brat. What makes you think I won’t beat you an inch from death?”

“Who’s gonna show the fresh meat the ropes then? You want to be carrying the bodies to the ovens like a slave? Be my guest. We all know after the last auction there aren’t many young bloods today. From what I heard, the last raid involved more killing than harvesting,” Naruto boasted back.

The jailer back handed him across the face sending him siding a few feet across the floor, “You may be right, I can’t fully beat you today but at least I get the freedom to do that and withhold your breakfast.”

Sasuke looked from the jailer to Naruto back to the jailer, and then he heard Naruto getting up.

Naruto was smiling as he tasted his own blood pooling in his mouth. His lip was split open, that’s for sure, but nothing a few hours wouldn’t heal. He quickly found his center of gravity to lift himself from the cold floor.

“Just stay down,” Sasuke almost begged Naruto. He would rather work with someone he had only known for several hours then be with this white-haired Empyrean.

“Don’t worry, Sasuke. He won’t hit me again,” Naruto said as sure as he knew he was breathing. “Right, Mizuki?” When Naruto turned his head in their direction his blindfold had come off probably as he slid across the floor. His eyes were fresh-blood red with slits for pupils. The way he tilted his head was eerie and his smile seemed to spread across his face as he watched Mizuki. Naruto licked off the blood that was dripping from his lip.

Sasuke didn’t understand it. The Uzumaki clan had no known visual mutations but those were not the eyes he had seen last night. And it wasn’t that he just couldn’t see them that well in the dark. Sasuke realized he was hearing metal clanking against itself and looked towards the jailer. 

Mizuki’s keys were shaking along with his body’s shudder. He was trying to glare at the slave in front of him even though he looked rather fearful. Naruto slowly scooted himself around, now fully facing the jailer. “I will kill you in your sleep, demon. I will find a way.”

“I dare you to try. You might want to get us up top before Donzo finds out you are the one taking so long to get us to the mess hall. We need to burn those bodies after all,” Naruto stated as calm as day as his eyes slowly shifted from red, to purple, finally to blue, his pupils following suit.

Mizuki unlocked the shackles on Sasuke first and then handed him the keys, “You unlock the demon, I am not getting near the possessed, little fucker.” 

Sasuke got up shakily to his feet and wandered over to Naruto. Naruto’s blue eyes never left Mizuki’s face. He rubbed his wrists and ankles as the shackles came off. He stood easily, like the shackles had been just a small inconvenience. Sasuke tossed the keys to the jailer while Naruto continued glaring. 

Sasuke realized he was taller than the blonde beside him but did not question the kid’s resolve as Naruto started to walk past Mizuki, through the door, and down the hall. He followed just a few steps behind. He heard the jailer exit their cell and shut the door. Sasuke continued to follow Naruto as he led the way up the steps.

“Are you wanting chow today? I am not so sure it’s a good idea with what you’ll be facing soon. You may just want to grab a quick drink and then follow me,” Naruto explained as he pointed to the direction he was headed. 

Sasuke just nodded and agreed with his statement. Naruto led him to an area that had water to drink. The water wasn’t exactly clean, but he was so thirsty. Naruto quickly took a drink before looking over his shoulder. What was he looking at?

Sasuke looked up then and saw the other Forsaken filing out of their sleeping areas. Very few moved toward the building that smelled of some sort of food. Most must already know what today was. He then noticed there seemed to be a color code. His shirt was white which seemed to be the only one, while the others were red, black, green, blue, yellow, or orange. Naruto seemed to be the only in orange though.

“What do the colors mean?” Sasuke finally asked out loud. 

“You’re new, you’re white. I am ‘possessed’ so I am orange. Green means you’re ready for auction, red and black mean they will never auction you off. Blue means next month you are ready for auction, yellow means no one wanted to buy you so they have to figure out why,” Naruto answered as he motioned Sasuke to follow him. “The black and reds will beat me, and maybe you, since we are the youngest here, for fun. Stay away from them unless you think we both can take them.”

“Wouldn’t we get trouble for doing that?”

“It would be worth it. I would love to get the upper hand on them just once.”

“And what do you mean possessed? I heard the possessed were mindless idiots who ate people or drank their blood.”

“You saw me down in the cell, they think it is just a matter of time. They tell me there must be a demon inside of me waiting for just the right moment. I mean, maybe that’s why I lived,” Naruto answered and then stopped before turning the corner. “Are you ready for this?”

Sasuke suddenly remembered what was happening today. He looked at Naruto and swallowed hard. He could tell there was no way getting out of this. He was a slave now, made to do whatever his master told him to do which today meant burning his own clan to ashes. What was he supposed to do? He and Itachi were the only ones allowed to live and then to mock that, he was now the one burning them. 

“Come on, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get away from it,” Naruto said as he put his hands on Sasuke’s shoulders. “I will try to do as much as I can but this is a two person job. I will need help.”

Sasuke nodded and turned the corner. There were carts full of bodies, sitting beside rows of furnaces and the smell was gut wrenching. Sasuke just stared, wide-eyed. Were they all here? He felt his stomach rebel and turned back around to dry heave. There was nothing in his stomach to expel anyway. He felt Naruto’s hand on his back.

“Listen, you need to calm down. They will beat us both if we don’t get started and we will still have to do this job. We are section seven, just like our cell is number seven. No matter what we are doing, go to the number seven. We will have twelve bodies, three ovens. It takes two, maybe three hours for each body to burn. We can do this,” Naruto explained. “I am sorry these are people you know but if you get through this everything else will seem like nothing.”

“You’re joking, right?” Sasuke questioned. “Have you ever burned anyone you knew?” he whispered through shaking breaths.

“I have burned every single person who raised me but one.”

Sasuke eyes again grew wide. What was this place? Maybe Hell would be a step up. Naruto was the same age he was, already without his clan and then had to burn almost all the people that raised him What the hell?

“Ok, I think I am ready,” Sasuke began after a few moments. “Just take me straight there and let’s get this started.”


	2. Learning Curve

Naruto lived up to his word. He started the furnaces and had them to optimal temperature in no time. He hadn’t asked Sasuke for a single thing other than to watch and learn. Sasuke tried to focus on what Naruto was doing to get the job done. Lighting it, checking knobs and switches, and every now and then, he noticed one of his hands on the vents as he checked around the yard.

“What are you doing with your hand?” Sasuke questioned and Naruto smiled and looked at him without turning his head.

“I am fanning the flames. Makes the stupid thing heat up a bit faster,” Naruto answered.

“Your hand is just sitting there, on the vent. How does that help anything?”

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll find something that works for you. Anyway, let’s get this really started. We just have to put these bodies on these pieces of cloth and then slide them in, then wait a couple hours before the next body can go in. Three ovens, Three bodies at a time. Not too hard, right?” Naruto explained. He knew this was when things would get hard.

“You say that like they’re loaves of bread. These were living people, living people I knew. How can you say it like it doesn’t matter?” Sasuke muttered. He wasn’t ready, but he had to be.

“Sorry, but I have been doing this job since I was five. Two years of this and you just want to get it done as quickly as possible, so you don’t have to think about it. Some of those others enjoy this chore because they say we just get to sit around while they burn. They don’t seem to notice the smell or how empty you feel afterwards anymore. I am just glad I haven’t fallen that far.”

All Sasuke could do was nod. Naruto threw him a pair of gloves and motioned him over to the cart. Thankfully, must of the bodies were wrapped in some sort of rags. Sasuke slowly put his hand under the bulk of the top corpse. He began to retch just feeling what he was about to lift. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. The smell, the feel, and just the idea of it all was about to make him pass out. How had Naruto been doing this for two years?

“Hey, you okay? Look, it’s only a few feet, a few seconds, and just drop it on the slab. You can do this,” Naruto stated like this was a normal day activity, maybe it was.

“Yeah, whatever. Your pep talks are not helping. Let’s just get this over with,” Sasuke called back and then lifted with all the strength he had.

Naruto easily matched his movements and the corpse now set ready to be loaded into the furnace. Naruto motioned for Sasuke to grab the cloth and to slide the body down the slab until it was engulfed by flames. As soon as Sasuke saw the body disappear into a wall of heat and fire, Naruto slammed the door shut.

“One down, eleven to go. Let’s get the two others started so you can have a long break, yeah?” Naruto commented as he wiped his brow with the hem of his shirt.

It continued this way the entire day. Naruto did most of the work while Sasuke sat in a state of utter shock at what they were doing. He only got up to help move and load the corpses. By the time Naruto was done disengaging the furnace and cleaning their equipment he was covered in ash from head to toe. He came to sit beside Sasuke, resting his head back against the wall. Sasuke’s eyes were wide and unbelieving, there is only one thing that ash was from. He then looked at himself and lost control of his breath.

He was covered with the remains of his dead clan. It was in his hair, under his fingernails, he was practically breathing it. It destroyed the thin layer of control he was holding onto. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, and his heart was trying to escape his chest. Everywhere he looked there were reminders; the carts, the furnaces, some of the other kids still had a body or two to dispose of. Sasuke suddenly felt Naruto wrap his arms around his shaking frame.

“Sasuke! You need to get a grip! If they see you losing it, they will beat us both. As slaves, we are not allowed emotions or fear of what we are doing. Please, calm down,” Naruto was urgently whispering to Sasuke’s besieged mind. “Shit,” was the last thing Naruto said before he heard a very unpleasant but familiar voice.

“He finally broke, huh? He lasted a while, now it’s time for my kind of fun. How many lashes do you think this deserves, demon shit? I mean, you’ll be receiving them too now that you have him as your weak, little cellmate,” came Mizuki’s voice.

“Shut the fuck up! I doubt anyone could handle their first day here burning their own!” Naruto yelled into Mizuki’s face as he stood in front of Sasuke. “I barely did when you made me burn _him_ after he was executed in front of me.”

“That was another fun day. Watching that idiot, who tried to save you from one of my beatings, die. Then, later that week, I got to watch you crumble as we made you personally dispose of him. Good times. Now pick up the Uchiha brat and drag him to your cell. You guys will get your punishment soon enough.”

Naruto followed the jailer’s instructions except he took a small detour. He grabbed a few pieces of stale bread from the chow hall and had Sasuke drink some water before entering their cell. He handed some of their small meal to Sasuke as he ate the rest. If they were going to receive beating from MIzuki, of all people, their bodies would need something to withstand it. 

“How bad is it going to be?” Sasuke finally spoke. He understood the reason for the bread and water. Naruto was trying to ready him and himself.

“It won’t be as bad for you as for me,” was all Naruto said. He was thinking this through. Sometimes he could trick certain guards into less painful beatings, but this was Mizuki. Crap, how could he manipulate him? A thought then came to Naruto’s mind, maybe he could at least get Sasuke a lesser punishment.

Almost, as if knowing of Naruto’s decision, Mizuki appeared outside their cell, whip in hand. There was another guard close behind him. Their beatings had to be observed to make sure the victims would live through them. Mizuki was known for getting over zealous.

“Turn around and kneel so he can get your shackles on. There is no way I am letting either one of you run away.” 

Both boys complied and were now facing the back wall awaiting the pain they knew they were about to endure. As soon as Naruto heard the whip being raised into the air he spoke.

“What if I told you I will take both of our beatings, Mizuki? You can rip up my back to your heart’s content. You know I am a lot less likely to die than anyone else here.”

Sasuke kneeled there, staring at the wall. Naruto didn’t even know how many lashes they were in for and he was already offering up himself for his benefit. What the hell was he thinking? Maybe being raised here caused him to enjoy pain.

A smile crossed Misuki’s face at the thought. Beating the demon-possessed, thorn in his side until blood pooled at his feet, that would be quite amusing. The question is, would the other guard allow it? He was more of a rule follower than himself.

“You know they don’t allow double beatings because it may permanently damage the merchandise, Mizuki,” seemed to be the guard’s answer to Misuki’s thoughts. “I do suppose you could give that brat his beating and then half of the other kid’s and that would fall within the rules.” 

“So, forty-five lashes for the possessed idiot and only fifteen for the fresh meat. I can handle that easily,” Mizuki mused. “The real demon goes first, I have a lot more punishment to deal him anyway.”

Sasuke watched as hit after hit ripped through Naruto’s back. Naruto did his best to keep his screams to a minimum but by the last ten lashes he was barely holding himself up and his screams came out as gargled cries. The Uchiha watched as his new friend's blood run down his back, onto the floor, and sprayed into the air with each hit of the whip. How was he still conscious? How much blood did a seven-year-old’s body even hold?

By the time the forty-fifth lash hit, Naruto fell to his side, onto the cold, block floor, gasping for breath. Sasuke turned his head to look at Mizuki. The smile he wore was murderous. He just stood there, cleaning the blood off his whip and readying himself to bring the same pain to Sasuke. He tried to steel himself, if Naruto could last forty-five, he could deal with fifteen.

The whip slammed into his back as soon as that last thought was finished. The pain seared through his body in a way that made all his nerves burn. Lash after lash slashed into him, pain building on top of pain. He could feel his mind screaming louder than his voice. When number fifteen hit, Sasuke’s vocal cords were raw and the warmth of the blood running down his back felt like his was body crying.

He looked back at the two Empyrean parasites wishing for their deaths in between ragged breaths. Both looked satisfied with their work and Mizuki threw the rag he had used to clean his whip to the ground. He chuckled to himself.

“You let the demon bastard know, that is his souvenir.”

“Fuck off,” was all Sasuke had the energy to croak before collapsing to the floor.

Naruto hated watching that, he hated hearing it, but at least it had only been fifteen lashes. Sasuke was still weak from being transported to this place. He only had so much bread and water for the last how many days. It was the best saving grace Naruto had managed but it seemed to be good enough. Sasuke was still awake, breathing, and seemed to be showing a little personality.

“Are you ok?” Naruto asked weakly. “I am glad he beat me first, it had to have tired his arm a bit.”

“If that what it feels like with him swinging a tired arm, I don’t want to even think about the pain you felt.”

“I am pretty used to it,” was all Naruto had to say all the matter.

Sasuke then watched as Naruto ran his hand through his own blood, did I few hand gestures, and did his best to hit the bare floor with his palm. Two dog-sized toads popped into existence. They looked at Naruto and then at himself. What the heck were toads doing here?

“Hey, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu. Been a while, right?” Naruto greeted them.

“What the heck happened to you, Naruto. And who is this, did you drag him down with you?” the burnt red toad asked.

“Never mind all that, can you check on Sasuke? He just got here and hasn’t really gained much strength back. I know you guys have some healing ointments and stuff.”

“Won’t one of the nurses come check on you?” the other toad inquired.

“Yeah, but probably not until morning. I don’t think Mizuki will report this punishment right away. You know how that goes,” Naruto responded.

Sasuke just watched as this absurd conversation continued. How did Naruto know how to summon? Itachi had some crow summons but he had been taught by their father. Who taught Naruto in this place? And, maybe he did need healing, but what about Naruto? He had faced three times the punishment he received. The red toad seemed to agree.

“Hey, you look worse for wear than the other kid. Why don’t we check you out first?”

“No, just no. You know I’ll be fine by morning, I mean it has been proven here so many times over. Check him, look I have already stopped bleeding for the most part,” Naruto argued.

Sasuke pushed himself half way up into his kneeling position and glared.

“You’re an idiot, you know that? Forty-five lashes compared to fifteen and you want them the help me first, whatever they are,” Sasuke declared with renewed vocal chords. “Are you really that stupid or do you have no self-preservation instinct left in you?”

Naruto slowly got himself up onto to his own knees and was about to retort but Gamakichi spoke first.

“Yeah, he’s an idiot but one that does the best he can. He’s been through worse. I know that may seem impossible, but he ends up looking like this quite often. He tends to get himself into trouble just because they’ll find a reason to beat him anyway.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence, Gamakichi,” Naruto growled. “Now come on, check him over please.”

Gamakichi headed towards Sasuke while the other toad, he was guessing that was Gamatatsu, went in Naruto’s direction.

“What’s up buddy, do you have any snacks?” Gamatatsu asked of Naruto.

“Dude, are you serious? I just got punished, summoned you here for help, and you want snacks. Don’t you have plenty of bugs where you come from?” Naruto answered back with his head cocked to one side rolling his eyes.

“Fine, I’m leaving,” the yellow toad protested and then disappeared.

“Gamatatsu is more of an idiot than Naruto,” was the last thing Sasuke remembered before waking up the next morning.

***  


Sasuke opened his eyes to darkness. They had returned to the cell around dinner time last night before getting the shit whipped out of them. What time was it now? He tried to move but his back screeched in dull agony. He decided he was content with just moving his head and looking where he could.

Naruto was snoring just behind him. It looked like someone had removed his shirt. Sasuke could imagine how painful that might have been. The red toad had obviously left and the only other thing he noticed was Mizuki’s reminder left on the floor. He would kill that guy someday if he ever got the chance.

Naruto woke up to movement, chains were rattling ever so slightly. Sasuke must be awake. He turned his head towards the window, it was nice not being blindfolded during the night for once. He tried to tell the time by the look of the sky. It did look like it was lightening just enough to be called dawn. He then found himself yawning in response to that thought.

“Oh, you’re awake now. Did one of the toads steal your shirt?”

“Ha! You are so funny. Gamakichi wanted to get it off before any of the disgusting Sanctified jerks got any satisfaction of ripping it off this morning,” Naruto answered. “The nurse should be stopping by soon,” Naruto continued while making his way up to his knees. “She doesn’t like me, thinks it’s ungodly that I heal so fast,” at this Naruto laughed.

“I could see how that might bother a nurse, especially considering it is a demon ability you have. It does seem be handy in this life though,” Sasuke replied as he tried his best to painlessly get to his own knees. 

“What about the ability in your eyes? Does it bother people?”

Sasuke thought about that and shrugged. He knew they were supposed to be good at predicting another’s movements and had the ability to read auras or something like that. Itachi had told him that their eyes could change and develop new abilities later. That probably could make someone uneasy. He wondered...

Naruto watched Sasuke curiously as he blinked a few times. He seemed to be trying to concentrate on something. His eyes then turned from black to red with an interesting pattern. So, that’s what their advanced sight looked like. 

“Can you see any better with them like that?” asked Naruto as Sasuke looked around.

“Yeah, but it still just a plain old cell,” Sasuke answered and then jumped as he looked at Naruto. “Well, I guess that’s what they mean by seeing auras. Itachi said it would take some getting used to.”

“Who’s Itachi?” Naruto questioned while watching Sasuke’s eyes shift from one thing to another. “Do my eyes look that weird when they are red?”

“My brother and you know, you can be pretty annoying.”

Sasuke and Naruto’s eyes darted to the cell door as they heard it rattle. A woman, with blonde hair tied back and dark eyes came through the door practically growling at Naruto. Naruto smiled at her while trying to back up as if she was about to tackle him.

“NARUTO! How many times? Forty-five lashes, are you insane? You know fifty is the limit and usually only used on adults. Why do you do these things to me and my fellow nurses? ANSWER ME!” the woman yelled practically in his face.

“Hey, Granny Tsunade. Well, ya know. Just trying to help the new guy out. He had a really bad first day and,” Naruto began but she knocked him over the head before he could finish.

“You are the bane of my existence,” was all she said as she looked him over. She checked Naruto’s back and nodded as a green glow came from her palms that now laid on his back. “You should be glad your body recovers the way it does.” Her attention than turned to Sasuke, “Why are you using your advanced sight on me, fresh meat? I am sorry you got caged up with this idiot.”

“Sorry, ma’am,” Sasuke replied as he looked away focusing his eyes to go back to normal. “I just wanted to see how it worked. Naruto has been an okay cellmate so far. That Mizuki is the one that I’d rather not be around.”

“Yeah, that bastard has a love affair with his whip going on. Now, try to turn around so I can look at you.” Tsunade’s hands tried to carefully pull what was left of the back of Sasuke’s shirt away. “This is going to hurt, on the count of three. One, two, three!” It one quick movement she somehow cut his shirt away while pulling it off simultaneously

“Shit!” Sasuke yelled. “Please tell me that’s all the fabric you have to remove.” He hadn’t been ready to feel that much pain on his back again. 

“Don’t worry, Sasuke. She is one of the best at what she does. You’ll be healed in no time!” Naruto declared and then promptly got another hit upside the head.

“You, shut up. I am still pissed at you,” Tsunade growled at Naruto. “And yes, Sasuke, is it? All I have to do is try to heal you now. Well, and find you both new shirts.” 

Sasuke felt a weird warmth spread over his back, it was almost comforting except the shackles ruined it. He looked at Naruto who seemed to be pouting while looking up at the ceiling. This was going to get some real getting used to. They beat you and then healed you? What, so they can just beat you again without feeling bad?

“That’s the best I can do for you both for now. I will bring your new shirts to the mess hall. Please, don’t get into any more trouble while you’re there,” Tsunade’s last statement seemed to be aimed at the blond trying to look as innocent as he could while messing with his shackles. “What, you expect me to unlock those things too?”

“Oh, come on! Then we could get to our food and eat before I even have an opportunity to cause trouble,” Naruto said with a sly smile. 

“Fine. But, if I hear that you dared any of the guards to a fight or pranked any of the cooks I will beat you myself. Understood?”

Naruto nodded his head with a smile that looked far from innocent. Sasuke just watched the two of them wondering if they had known each other long. If Naruto got punished as much as people said maybe Tsunade was a frequent visitor. She quickly unlocked Naruto’s shackles before coming over to him.

“Thank you," Sasuke murmured as the shackles fell from his arms.

“Oh look, he’s more polite than you. Maybe he’ll become my new favorite," Tsunade commented as she looked in Naruto’s direction and got to her feet heading for the door. “I will be watching both of you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you and your angel blood will always be watching me. I got it,” Naruto countered as he got up to his own feet. “Come on, Sasuke. Let’s get some chow before the black and reds get up.”


	3. Awakening

When Naruto and Sasuke entered the mess hall their noses were thankfully greeted by good smells instead of the scents of yesterday. From the looks of it, they were some of the first free from their cells. Naruto led the way to the end of the short line. The trays they were handed out by one of the Mephistophelian workers were small. This didn’t seem very promising.

“Hey, Old Man! What did you make us today?” Naruto greeted as they came to stand in front of a rounder gentleman with a small cook’s hat and a white apron. His eyes seemed to light up as soon as he saw Naruto.

“Hey, Naruto, lose your shirt in a bet or something?” the cook asked as he scooped something gooey into a bowl. “Just oatmeal today, nothing fancy. We did receive some fresh fruit last night, though. You might want to grab an orange before they decide you can’t have it.”

“Thanks, Old Man. No, we received punishment, ya know. Granny Tsunade is grabbing Sasuke and I some new shirts.”

“Your name is Sasuke then. Well, welcome, even though I really hate the idea of anyone being here,” The cook said with a nod to Sasuke. “You didn’t get a beating because of the knucklehead, did you?”

Sasuke just shrugged and grabbed the bowl of oatmeal he was handed. He didn’t really feel like talking at the moment. The place had suddenly gotten loud and he was watching the others file in. Not many were wearing red or black but the few that did were eyeing him and Naruto incredulously. Naruto noticed what he had taken an interest in. 

“Thanks for food, Teuchi. We better find seats before we get ourselves into some type of trouble,” Naruto spoke before nudging Sasuke and motioning with his head to the area in which he usually sat. 

They sat down in the far corner closest to the exit. Naruto started eating rather quickly while keeping his eyes on those around them. He would point out the people to avoid and others that weren’t so bad to Sasuke. He then felt a bit of relief when Tsunade walked in carrying one white and one orange shirt.

Sasuke thanked her as he stood to receive his shirt and put it on, wincing a few times as the fabric scraped against his back. He watched Naruto do the same. Tsunade leaned down and whispered something in Naruto’s ear, and he just nodded at the new information. As she walked away Naruto sat back down and then sighed. 

“And so it begins,” Naruto stated.

Sasuke looked up from his bowl to see a few other Forsaken headed their direction. He had forgotten that Naruto and himself were the youngest in this camp. These guys looked twice their age.

“Hey, orange demon, you fattening up your next victim to bleed him dry in a few weeks?” one with fowl breath and some of the dirtiest brown hair Sasuke had ever seen mocked.

“No, I think I’ll keep him. He seems to be a bit like me. What do you mean by ‘next’, I haven’t eaten anyone yet.” Naruto declared back. 

“Where’d he come from, they never bring someone your age in, and he was the only one that came back with the last raid,” another kid commented wiping his nose with his blue shirt.

“I am an Uchiha," Sasuke answered. “They cleansed my clan but decided to let me live for some reason. You got a problem with that?”

“OH! Someone has as much of an attitude as the demon freak here,” the first boy declared while thrusting a finger into Naruto’s chest. “You think you’re something special, like you can take us out with a blink of your eyes or something?”

“Maybe not now, but in a few years, who knows,” Sasuke simply stated as he went back to finishing his oatmeal. Naruto chuckled.

“Was that a threat, fresh meat?”

“No, never,” Sasuke responded. “Just stating facts.”

“His eyes might be even scarier than mine,” Naruto then commented as he got up with his tray. “Anyway, sorry to leave you guys hanging, but Lady Tsunade said Sir Iruka asked us to arrive early for Culturalization Training.”

Sasuke got up from his seat and grabbed his tray when the snot-nosed kid grabbed his arm. He glared at Sasuke daring him to try something. Sasuke blinked to activate his sight and watched the kid jump away like he had been burned. Smug satisfaction covered Sasuke’s face as he turned to Naruto and followed him out.

“Already making yourself a reputation, aren’t you Sasuke,” Naruto teased. “Better be careful or you may get a few people who would test you, not that it ever stopped me.”

“They were idiots. Do they always bother you like that?”

“It’s not always them, but someone always seems to have the need to badger me. They then get irritated when I finally punch them in the face, like they hadn’t been asking for it the whole time,” Naruto replied as he walked with his elbows in the air and his hands on the back of his neck.

“That’s going to get old pretty fast. You don’t mind if I join in the fun every now and then? How many lashes would we get?”

“Usually five. Sir Kakashi says they only punish me for it because they don’t want me learning to fight until I am ten. Something to do with half the guards already scared of me to begin with,” Naruto shrugged. “Sir Iruka thinks they are all blowing it out of proportion.”

“So, Sir Iruka runs this Culturalization Training thing, what does this Sir Kakashi do?” Sasuke inquired.

“Sir Kakashi teaches everything from fighting styles to the know how of demon blood and how to use it. We just get to sit and watch that class while he teaches us energy exercises,” Naruto growled. “I wish I could just learn the cool stuff already but I am younger than everyone else, so I just get to observe the older kids doing the interesting stuff.”

“I could probably learn it with my eyes and then we practice it together if we ever have free time.”

“Your eyes can do that? You can learn something just by watching? That’s awesome!”

“Well, Itachi’s could, I am sure I could figure it out.”

Sasuke continued following Naruto to their next activity while Naruto asked more questions about his abilities. As they neared the building, Naruto explained that this training was basically learning laws, policies, facts, and figures about the Empyrean world. They would be slaves to it soon after all. Naruto found it all very boring.

As they came to the stone structure that would be their classroom, Naruto sighed and hung his head, “Please don’t let there be any tests for me today, I suck at them. Even if I do get more time to learn all this stuff, it's so stupid.” He slowly pushed the door open.

“Hey, Naruto, if it isn’t my favorite student!” Iruka announced.

“Your worst, you mean,” Naruto countered.

“And this must be the new kid. Isn’t it nice having someone your age around now, Naruto?” Iruka asked as he checked Sasuke over. “Looks like you survived the rough, first day.”

“Barely, Naruto got the shit whipped out of him because of me,” Sasuke answered truthfully. “Name is Sasuke by the way. Naruto said you needed us here early.”

“I did. I need to find out where your knowledge falls when it comes to the information presented in this class. Naruto, you can help me get the room ready for the others.”

Iruka went over to his desk and dug out a few papers and pencils for Sasuke. He handed them to him and told him to answer as many questions as he could understand as best he could. Naruto was currently wiping down the blackboard followed by sweeping the floors. He didn’t seem to mind the physical labor.

Sasuke tested at Naruto’s current understanding of the material. As the other Forsaken boys dragged themselves in, Naruto and Sasuke took seats in the back. It wasn’t terribly important they learn any of this yet. They had almost five extra years to get it all down. Naruto had just started this year, so he wasn’t relearning anything yet. Both Sasuke and Naruto agreed this class was going to make the day pass by slowly. 

As the class droned on, Naruto would doze off every now and then. Suddenly, Sir Iruka said something that caught the blonde’s attention. It was towards the end of the day, but it just seemed off. He started listening more carefully to the information being presented. That couldn’t be right, could it? Naruto shot his hand up which surprised Sasuke a bit.

“Sir Iruka, what do you mean we can be executed for just touching an Empyrean? Like just touching their shoulder or something with our bare hands?” Naruto asked dumbfounded.

“Well, skin to skin contact is absolutely forbidden. That’s why all the guards, teachers, and any Empyrean who comes to see what you guys are made of usually wear gloves and clothing that fully cover them. If you were to touch an Empyrean, they would be considered ‘Tainted’. They could be banished if they do not prove otherwise.”

“But Lady Tsunade doesn’t wear gloves when she heals us,” Naruto said in reaction. “How is that okay if what you say is true? I am not diseased or a threat to anyone that doesn’t threaten me first.”

“Lady Tsunade and the nurses are special cases. They are said to be immune because of the type of angel blood they are endowed with,” Iruka began. “According to Empyrean Law, you are the worse kind of plague to exist, Naruto.”

“Do you think that, Sir Iruka?” Naruto asked trying to find a little comfort in how he felt.

He was a plague? He wouldn’t be allowed to touch a single person once he was out of here, at least, not without gloves? Granny Tsunade was fine and healed him so many times he couldn’t keep count. If she didn’t become Tainted, why would anyone else?

“I am not allowed to answer that, Naruto,” was the only response he received.

Iruka had ended training for the day right after that discussion and students started filing out. Naruto sat there, reeling, his hand grabbing his shirt at his chest trying to come to terms with this information. He was an orphan, a Mephistophelian, a Forsaken, demon-possessed, and now a plague? How was he supposed to come to terms with all of this? Would he ever be anything other than something people just looked down upon or rejected? Would he ever be something that people needed?

“Naruto?” he heard Sasuke say. “Hey, are you okay?”

“No, I am not okay,” Naruto muttered. “Sasuke, do you think we are a plague?”

“No. If we were, why would they need us to do the jobs they don’t want to do? If we were a plague, they would have tried to destroy us all by now. They just put these labels on us to make themselves feel better. We are not a plague.”

Naruto nodded at this more hopeful response and got up. Sasuke led the way this time to the door. The Uchiha had watched this kid get beat and mocked and handle it all like water off a duck’s back, but this had hit Naruto hard. How badly had they broken him before today?

“Naruto,” Iruka began as they went to leave out the door.

“It’s okay, I get it. It was the other Forsakens cleaning up after my clan’s cleansing that had valued my life, not any of you,” Naruto interrupted without lifting his eyes from the floor. “I am just a burden to all of you until I prove otherwise,” with that he followed Sasuke out the door.

Iruka hadn’t meant for that material to hit Naruto that hard but understood why it did. He had been pretty much alone since day one. Only other Mephistophelian were allowed to care for him and that was only when they were not given other jobs to do. When Naruto turned five, the higher ups had told the guards to systematically start killing off his caretakers, having him burn their bodies. They figured that would break his demon-possessed spirit. Naruto knew a loneliness that not many other could fathom. Maybe Sasuke could after what he went through, Iruka didn’t know for sure.

Sasuke smelled the scent of food coming from the mess hall and figured it must be time for dinner. He led the way there and through the line. Naruto was just going through the motions. When they sat down again, close to the exit, Naruto just stared as his food.

“Naruto, you should eat. I don’t know exactly how it works here yet, but since we had a training day today, won’t we have some sort of physical chore tomorrow?” Sasuke said trying to get any response from the blond. 

Naruto nodded and then slowly began eating the food in front of him. He sensed someone had come to tower over him, but he didn’t care. He really wasn’t in the mood.

“It’s you guys again, I didn’t see you in our training class, You too dumb for it?” Naruto heard Sasuke say in between bites.

“Watch it, Uchiha. We are fourteen, we have better things to do.” It was the kid with the rotten breath.

“Like roll in manure, because that is what you smell like. You are ruining my appetite. Please leave,” Sasuke taunted.

Suddenly a hand whipped out and grabbed the collar of Sasuke’s shirt. His eyes had activated on their own at the threat. He had his hands on the other boy’s wrist but was too weak compared to the larger boy. He felt himself slowly leave his seat as the other kid lifted him up to meet his face, he legs now dragging across the tabletop. 

“You want to say that again, U-chi-ha?” he spit into his face.

Naruto had stood up as soon as he saw the kid’s hand shoot out. If he wasn’t in the mood before, he definitely was not in the mood now. He felt the familiar rage start heating through his body. He kept his eyes on Sasuke, just waiting. If they did one more thing, he was going to lose it.

Sasuke looked at bad breath kid and then at snotty nose guy with red eyes. There auras were as dirty as they were. It made him chuckle. The kid holding him up leaned his head to one side glaring at him.

“I said, you smell like shit.”

The boy’s other hand shot out to deck Sasuke and he closed his eyes ready for contact. Instead he felt a whoosh of wind as Naruto caught the punch landing on top the table in a crouch. A millisecond later Naruto grabbed the boy’s arm, right above Sasuke’s grip, twisted, and pushed back on the kid’s fist simultaneously freeing Sasuke and launching their attacker into the table behind.

“Don’t touch him, don’t even breathe on him,” Naruto practically growled. 

Sasuke heard the low echo in Naruto’s voice again and now, he could even see claws gracing his fingertips. What was he? His aura was angry, no, raging to the point Sasuke could feel the bloodlust. Naruto turned his head to face Sasuke, his bright red eyes with slit pupils seemed to be making sure no part of him was injured. Sasuke saw his sharp teeth and ragged scars in full detail now. He looked like a predator just waiting for some prey.

Sasuke turned his attention to the other kids that had been so sure of themselves before. One still laying across the table, shaking in fear, and the other not doing much better. He was backing up into other boys staring at the spectacle. He watched as a kid wearing black came up and seemed confident that he could solve all of this.

“So, the new kid has made this possessed freak his guard dog?”

"No, Naruto is not a guard dog. I can take care of myself when I’m not distracted. He caught me off guard,” Sasuke said pointing at the kid sprawled across the table while sizing up the other boy clad in black. “I’ll give you three tries to land a punch. I doubt you can.”

“Will the other red-eyed freak be involved?”

“No. He has had his fun today, I want a shot,” Sasuke answered, slowly climbing off the table. He heard Naruto follow suit.

“I’ll keep anyone else from trying to interfere with your game,” Naruto snickered in a way that sounded threatening.

The broad-shouldered, larger boy approached Sasuke with a smug grin on his face. Sasuke was studying his every move. His eyes saw everything, every muscle twitch, every breath, every strength and weakness. He understood why his clan had been so protective of their eyes. The black shirt cracked his knuckles and neck in anticipation.

“This is going to be so easy,” he announced as he got into a fighting stance.

He moved not a second later. Sasuke dodged each punch with ease, like the other boy was moving in slow motion. He then realized the kid wasn’t stopping and caught the next punch with two hands. 

“That was five,” Naruto announced with a tilt of his head. “Maybe he doesn’t know how to count?” he wondered, his eyes squinting.

Sasuke laughed at that. Even if Naruto was a demon in his current state, he was obviously no threat to him. Sasuke decided he liked this partnership they had going on.

“Naruto, do you mind if I punch him? We are already going to get a few lashes anyway, right?”

“I’ll give you more than a few,” that disgustingly evil, familiar voice they knew so well blurted.

Sasuke punched the kid straight in the jaw to make it worth it. Naruto seemed to approve. They both turned to face the white-haired freak with a whip.

“We aren’t shackled nor are we hungry,” Sasuke commented. “I wonder what he is like without his whip.”

“He has two other guards with him. This may not be the time, but it is tempting,” Naruto agreed with Sasuke’s train of thought.

“Do you have control over that power of yours, Naruto?”

“Not always, but right now, I don’t think I really want it to leave.”

_“I don’t think I should leave. That guy deserves to be slammed to the bottom of the totem pole.”_

Naruto looked around trying to figure out where the new voice had come from. Suddenly part of his consciousness was pulled from the reality of the mess hall into his own mind, or it felt that way. He was still aware of what was happening around his physical body, but his eyes opened wide to what he was seeing in front of him within himself. A cage, a cell similar to the one his spent nights in blindfolded, was in front of him. It loomed over him like the dark shadow of an oncoming storm. 

_“You can finally hear me, can you? I might as well have some fun of my own while locked inside your small, corporeal body. Do you want to kill him, boy?”_ came a dark, echoing voice from behind the bars.

“Who are you? Your locked inside me? I don’t understand,” Naruto replied before realization hit him. “I am possessed, by you. You are a demon?”

_“I am not one that ever has to possess anyone. I am one of nine that could destroy the world you hold dear. You are possessing me. I have no want to be here, but I am so let’s take care of the situation at hand. You, and the one with demon eyes, can easily take that fallen angel and the other two will fall alongside him.”_

“How did you get here?”

_“That’s for another time. Maybe then I’ll let you see me. Tell demon eyes to take them, all three.”_

Naruto felt like he was thrown back into the current reality and he smiled. At least he understood what he was even if it was by the smallest increment. Sasuke was still nodding and he remembered the last question he was asked and how he answered.

“Let’s do this, Sasuke.”


	4. Unchained

Sasuke looked carefully at Naruto and his aura seemed different, there was still rage there but it was a calm, growing rage. Something had happened. He was going to ask what once this was all over. He knew they’d end up shackled or chained to a wall after this, so they would have plenty of time for conversation. He didn’t care about the consequences right now, just the results.

He had only put up with this captivity for two days and his blood was almost constantly boiling under the surface. He couldn’t imagine the amount of contempt that had grown inside Naruto. What Iruka had lectured on during training had probably been the final razor cut on the rope of Naruto’s sanity. He had probably lost any caring thought or feeling for anything here. 

Sasuke then smirked at Naruto as he heard a whip snap in the air in a weak attempt at intimidation. He looked behind him, barely turning. His eyes seemed even sharper now. He was angry. He was fuming that the only person that showed him any mercy had put up with this for years. He was furious that they thought they could continually threaten them without any consequences. They were going to die.

He saw Naruto move first as the auras of the three weak men suddenly shifted into fright. He was fast and Sasuke was quick to follow, hitting one of the supporting guards while Naruto grabbed the whip Mizuki foolishly tried to swing again. Naruto ripped it out of his hands while Sasuke grabbed the other’s baton.

The boys and workers stuck in the mess hall had backed away as far as they could go. Three adult Empyreans were trying to subdue two young Mephistophelians, and it looked like they were outmatched. How? These were the youngest in the camp and they had no fear about what consequences they might face. They were monsters.

Naruto stared at the whip he now held in his hands wondering how many people’s blood it had been covered with, Sasuke was wondering nearly the same thing about the baton. They looked at each other, somehow coming to some sort of agreement. One man still had a weapon, the other two still had their fists. These weapons they currently held would come in handy. 

Sasuke moved first this time, taking out the unarmed guard’s knees and, as he fell, crushed the baton into the back on his head. He heard a satisfying crack as the man fell to the floor unconscious. He turned, having seen in his peripheral the other guard moving, and darted away. 

Naruto had shadowed Sasuke’s movements moving towards the epicenter of his current hatred. He dodged a few pitiful attempts of Mizuki’s at landing a punch and managed to get behind him. He wanted him to beg for mercy. Naruto jumped and hooked the whip around the front of jailer’s neck, trying to wrap it quickly around as Mizuki tried to throw him off.

Naruto had managed to finish attaching the weapon to the sadist’s throat while using the man’s own back as a leverage point for his feet. Sasuke saw the opportunity and moved in quickly. He ran over to Mizuki, currently trying to get Naruto to weaken the grip of the whip, and swung upwards with the baton causing Muziki’s nose to break, spilling blood down his front. Mizuki passed out almost instantly but, as he fell forward, the other guard had found the chance to use his own baton to hit Naruto hard between the shoulder blades.

A snarl erupted from Naruto as he landed on his hands and knees on top of the comatose Mizuki. Sasuke grabbed the whip, now slack around jailer’s neck, and dragged it with him as he ran to attack the other man. He was pissed. Naruto had saved him from a harsh punishment the night before, he was going to repay that right now. Sasuke jumped at the man’s chest while securing the whip behind the guard’s head pulling it forward as he headbutted him hard. As the guard was reeling, he pushed off his chest with his feet knocking the man backwards.

Naruto was now back up. He had watched Sasuke attack the last guard and as the man fell backward, he noticed the baton that lay on the floor. He threw it straight at the man’s face. It impacted the guard’s chin sending his head jerking back, which then slammed into the block floor.

Sasuke and Naruto surveyed the damage. All the men were still breathing. They both wanted, at least, Mizuki dead. As they approached his motionless form, sharp pinpricks were felt on their necks. In the entrance stood Tsunde and another dark-haired woman with a weird mechanism on her wrist. Protruding from the contraption were thin needles. 

Naruto observed Sasuke reaching up to pull a needle from his neck as he teetered on his feet. He eyelids fluttered as his red eyes faded back to black. Naruto was about to ask Sasuke if he was alright when the dark-haired boy collapsed. Naruto glared in the direction of the two women as he reached up and pulled the needle from his own neck, it was covered in something. He felt two more hard pinpricks hit his throat as he was about to look back up at Tsunade.

That’s when he felt it. His mind became sluggish, the wild energy was draining from him, and then his body was falling. The cold, hard surface of the floor caught him. He thought he heard Granny Tsunade’s voice say something, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He tried to reply but his mouth wouldn’t move. He eyes closed not a moment later.

***

_“Wasn’t it satisfying?”_ Naruto heard that dark, deep voice ask his mind.

“Yes,” he mentally answered.

_“Come to my cell boy, you know the way.”_

Naruto felt himself get pulled into that place with the looming set of bars. He watched as two large, bright red eyes with slits as pupils looked upon him through those bars.

_“You asked how I got here earlier. I was sealed within you, locked away to be a part of you. Your father was forced to use you since they killed your mother trying to get to me.”_

Naruto stayed still for a moment, and then approached the bars. The thing was locked here? Never with anyway to be free? This dark voice was like him, a slave, a prisoner, and he was the jail.

“I am sorry you are stuck inside a cell. Why did he need to do this?” Naruto asked.

_“I am surprised you asked that instead about your parents,”_ the red eyes replied. _“I am a threat to their world, their idea of perfection.”_

“I want to know about my mom and dad, but I know what being locked up feels like. If you are stuck here, I could ask about them anytime. Is there a way I can free you?”

_“That would be a death wish for you. Your body has grown accustom to me, if I left you, your body would be too weak to live.”_

Naruto touched one of the bars as he thought about the information. He was a jailer. One of the things he had just tried to kill. His mother, from the sounds of it, had the same fate. He didn’t want this, he didn’t what to hold something that had done him no wrong against its will.

_“You are not at fault here. You just happened to be the right vessel and Minato was forced to use you,”_ the demon said giving him his father’s name. _“They freed me from your mother to capture me. He knew if they had me your kind could be destroyed. He locked me away, in you, to keep me from their clutches.”_

“They are the Sanctified,” Naruto realized. “Do they know you are here?”

_“From what I have gathered, they just think you are possessed by a low-level demon which is sad. Let’s keep them believing that,”_ the voice recommended. _“You need to wake up, they are here.”_

Naruto felt himself fall back into reality. He opened his eyes slowly. His eyelids felt like lead. He lifted his head and felt a thick metal collar around his neck. As he moved his head, he heard a chain connected to the wall shift. His hands were shackled to the wall beside his head, elbows bent. His feet were shackled to the floor. There was a dense network of leather straps holding his body flush against the cold blocks. 

As his eyes began to focus further away, he saw an unconscious Sasuke in the same predicament next to him. He cleared his throat, about to speak, when he heard someone shift at the far end of the cell.

“You’re awake, Naruto, surprising since you were hit with a triple dose. But, then again, your body’s resilience never ceases to amaze.”

Naruto knew that voice as he hung his head, he was almost scared to respond. He doubted she was happy.

“Granny Tsunade,” Naruto croaked, his throat dry. “I am sorry, I disappointed you. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“Actually, you didn’t disappoint me. You and Sasuke are actually quite impressive.”

“I agree,” another voice added.

Naruto’s head popped up now to look at who was all in the cell. There stood Kakashi beside Tsunade. Iruka was also with them, but he didn’t look impressed one bit and stood further back. Naruto swallowed as he took this all in. What was happening?

“Argh, I feel like I just woke up from one of Itachi’s heavy illusions,” came Sasuke’s voice as he finally lifted his head. “Ok, maybe I am still in it. I am strapped to a wall.”

“Yeah, welcome to containment,” the trapped blond said in greeting. 

“Well, at least we won’t be dealing with the whip wielding idiot.” Sasuke said with a weak laugh.

“Now that both of you are awake, Kakashi has a proposition,” Tsunade stated as she stepped towards them.

Both captives’ heads turned to face the man with one patch covered eye, a shock of gray, spiky hair gracing his head, a mask covering the bottom half of his face, and a very relaxed demeanor. He strode toward them while putting a small book into his pocket. He looked from one to the other and then crossed his arms.

“I want to get you away from here, to another camp. One that will take advantage of your teamwork and natural fighting spirit. You’ll still be slaves, of course, but I think you both will do better there,” Kakashi explained.

“How is it any different than this?” Sasuke asked as he motioned to the environment with his head. 

“Well, you’d have a bed, with a mattress,” Kakashi chuckled. “But, in all seriousness, it is a camp that trains body guards, security forces, and demon soldiers. I guess you two would fit into the body guard category. You didn’t get aggressive with just anyone, but with people who threatened you directly, and you worked as a team. You barely know each other and somehow complimented each other during a fight.”

“So, when we are adults, we’d be guarding the higher-class Empyreans,” the Uchiha concluded. “What if we can’t stand them?”

“You will be a slave to an Empyrean or two whether you want to be or not. I am giving you the opportunity to have one of the better choices,” Kakashi explained. “You won’t be bought and sold constantly. You will work for one family instead of a group of random people. They will most likely treat you well to keep your loyalty. Do you understand?” 

“Will we stay a team then?” Naruto asked that question.

“Not to sound like a dick, but I think that will be your main selling point,” Kakashi stated simply. “Two fighters that work extremely well together and won’t doubt each other’s abilities. You two would make at excellent guard unit for a political figure or someone of high esteem as that.” 

Naruto thought this through carefully. He may only be seven, but to get away from here would be life changing, literally. All he knew was this. If Kakashi said he believed they could do it, Naruto would take him at his word. If he believed this was a better route for his life, he’d take it. 

Sasuke seemed to like the idea himself. Naruto was not a bad fighting partner. He may be loud at times and snore like a freight train, but he could deal with it. He could get away from furnaces and idiots like the ones they dealt with in the mess hall. Also, protecting the higher echelon of the Sanctified had to have its perks. 

Naruto and Sasuke turned their heads towards each other at the same time. 

“You up for it, Sasuke?” Naruto asked.

“Sure, why not.”

They then turned back to Kakashi, who nodded at their decision and then looked at the other two adults behind him. Tsunade seemed satisfied with Kakashi’s explanation and the boys’ decision. Iruka was shaking his head in disagreement. He didn’t like this at all.

“They are only seven,” Iruka declared. “You think they can handle a camp like that? The camp has the same age group this one does. Twelve to thirteen-year-olds usually get transferred there when they show potential. Are you going to personally oversee their training or something, Kakashi?”

“I will. I am only here three out of seven days of the week. I can be there the other four, plus I have someone in mind to cover the other three days. They will be well taken care of, well, as well as the camp will allow,” Kakashi assured Iruka. 

“I still don’t like it,” Iruka said as he turned back to the cell door. “If something happens to them, it’s on both of your hands.”

“Well, now that it’s settled, I have to see about a black cat bothering the cook’s daughter,” Kakashi excused himself from the cell. 

Tsunade, watching him leave, shook her head. The man was ridiculous in so many ways, but a genius in so many others. She approached the boys until she could reach out and touch them. She eyed them both and watched as they started to look nervous.

“You still need to receive your actual punishments,” the light-haired woman announced.

“I knew this was too good to be true. I was hoping you were just going to leave us strapped to this wall for a day or so,” Naruto whined.

“You incapacitated two guards and a jailer.”

“It was so much fun though,” Sasuke smiled. “The punishment will be worth it.”

Naruto smiled at that. It’s true, to see those men fall to the ground made him feel lighter. Especially watching Mizuki become covered in his own blood for once, instead of the other way around. It was glorious. He would never take back those actions, not in a million years.

“You will be shocked five times each,” Tsunade decided, “and will stay here until noon tomorrow.”

“Wait, what?” Naruto asked stunned. “You're going to electrocute us?”

“Naruto, she said shocked. Like a few seconds of electricity. She is not sending lightning bolts from the sky to fry us alive,” Sasuke stated annoyed, and then thought better of it. “Are you?”

“Well, no, although I could probably arrange that. You did make quite a huge mess to clean up. One of our senior guards will come in and administer the punishment. Shizune will oversee it,” she answered and then turned and walked out.

“You obviously haven’t been through this before?” Sasuke questioned after Tsunade disappeared around the corner. 

“Nope, but then again, I have never taken down three guards,” Naruto thought out loud. “This is going to suck.”

As soon as the words left his mouth a large man, with dark skin and light hair, entered the cell with the dark-haired woman from the mess hall following close behind. The soon-to-be-punished watched as electricity seemed to bounce from one part of giant man’s body to another. He was a lightning user. They both had seen a few people use elemental abilities in their lifetimes but not usually someone as seasoned as him. 

“I don’t like this,” Naruto proclaimed with fear laced in his voice.

Sasuke swallowed hard in agreement. This did not look good, this looked painful. The woman was already opening a first aid kit, readying herself for the aftermath. Sasuke’s mind kept yelling at him to back up when he was already trapped against a stone wall. 

“Five times each, A., that’s it. And remember they are only seven, not too high of voltage, ok?” Shizune spoke.

Naruto closed his eyes and tensed in anticipation, Sasuke was doing the same. The first shock hit. Their bodies spasmed uncontrollably, they couldn’t breathe, their hearts stuttered, and their entire bodies felt like raw nerve endings. They gasped as they regained control of their lungs. They only had a few moments to catch their breath before the second hit. It didn’t seem as intense as it ripped through their torsos but was still agony. Both seemed to recover a little faster. Three more to go.

The next two followed the same order of events, by the fifth they were slumped against the chains and leather harnesses that now fully held them up. Every muscle was twitching in torment. Their eyelids stayed lowered over their eyes and their mouths felt dry. If they swallowed their throats felt like sandpaper grinding against open wounds.

Shizune sent the large man away and got up to tend to the boys. She quickly brought up a canteen from the belt she wore and offered them water which they gladly received even if it hurt to swallow. Afterwards, she started checking them over, starting with Sasuke. She healed him as much as she could from head to toe, while covering him in bandages where it was needed.

Naruto hung there, waiting for his turn. He was trying to get his breathing under control. He licked his lips and took another deep breath as he tried to lift his head. His neck muscles rebelled, and his head dropped back down. Maybe it was a good thing they were attached to the wall of the cell until later tomorrow. Hopefully he could move by then.

Sasuke was thankful for the healing energy running through him. His body was still screaming but, at least it didn’t feel burned to a crisp anymore. He managed to get one eye open to look in Naruto’s direction. He saw him try to lift his head and fail. His blond, unruly hair stood out against his singed clothes and the burns on Naruto’s trembling arms. Like Naruto predicted, this experience sucked. 

As soon as Naruto felt the healing energy hit his ears, he thanked Shizune without hesitation. Oh, he could heal faster than anyone, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less. She asked him if he could lift his head and he quietly answered to the negative. He felt her left hand gently push his head up using his forehead and gasped as he felt the cool energy hit his throat. He tried to focus on where he felt the cool comfort instead on the aches and pains. He barely realized when she had started to bandage him.

“Is Sasuke fully healed?” Naruto asked as he felt Shizune wrap his right arm.

“As healed as you are,” She answered quietly. “I will come back and check on you in the morning,” and then she packed up her things and left.

The two boys hung there in silence, just breathing. Their minds drifted in between different thoughts about what was discussed, what had just happened, and their uncertain future. They both fell asleep with a lot in their mind.

***

Naruto woke up with a jolt. He went to try to stretch and remembered the situation he was currently in. He opened his eyes fully and saw the sun was already up. Had he really slept that long? He usually always woke up near daybreak. Then again, he was fried the evening before. He decided to enjoy the forced immobility, it was easy to be lazy when you couldn’t move.

Sasuke woke up half an hour later, the sun finally reaching him through the small, barred window as it made its way slowly up to its apex. He shook his head trying to clear his mind. He was thirsty, and his stomach growled lowly. How late was it? Wasn’t that nurse lady supposed to check on them? He turned his head to ask Naruto that very question.

“Where is the needle shooter? Isn’t she supposed to check up on us or something?” Sasuke yawned.

“She probably has to check on anyone who received punishment late in the evening first or she might be recording those other idiots’ conditions for Donzo,” Naruto answered.

“You've mentioned Donzo before, is that the guy running this horrible place.”

“Yup,” Naruto said popping his lips at the end.

“You ever met him?”

“No, I have seen him from far away. He is old guy, with bandages covering most of his head and face. The way I have heard the others in charge talk about him, it sounds like he isn’t very likable.”

“Naruto, watch what you say,” Shizune cautioned as she approached their cell door. She quickly unlocked it and walked right up to him. “Donzo has ears and eyes everywhere.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Naruto gulped.

“How are you two feeling? Any trouble breathing, light-headedness, anymore burning sensation?” the woman asked as she put down the basket she had carried in and pulled out the contents. Sasuke and Naruto shook their heads as she held up two lidded cups with straws.

“I am going to give you a liquid meal for now. If you keep that down, you'll get solid food later.”

Both boys nodded at her statement and she carefully lifted the straws to their mouths. Naruto looked at it questioningly as he heard Sasuke immediately take a sip. The Uchiha boy shrugged, as much as he could in chains and shackles, and looked at Naruto.

“It’s not too bad. Tastes like fruit and peanut butter.”

Naruto shrugged back and took a sip. This wasn’t half bad at all. He wished he could hold it for himself. Shizune kept pulling in back to slow him down. He would throw her a glare every time she did. After several times, he finally started to pace himself while pouting.

Sasuke was pacing himself to begin with. If they were starting them with liquid, it could mean they had the possibly to get sick. He didn’t want to vomit all over himself. He doubted they would let him shower and change afterward. He hadn’t cleaned himself in how long to begin with, add vomit to the mix and he’d be a walking sewer line.

“Ok, how do you feel now?” Shizune asked.

“Good,” both captives answered.

“You’ll be leaving for your next holding camp this evening, after evening meal. We don’t want many to notice you’re getting transferred,” she began. “You’ll be allowed to take showers as soon as your free from all that,” she motioned to everything holding them to the wall and floor. “Listen, this transfer is hush hush, Kakashi is doing you a favor. Keep your mouths shut.”

The boys nodded their understanding of the information. They watched her pack up her things and look them over one last time. She asked them again if they felt fine and told them she’d be watching them closely for the rest of the day. Naruto rolled his eyes at that while Sasuke acted indifferent.

Sasuke watched her leave and then waited a few minutes, listening to her footsteps carefully. He then turned his head in Naruto’s direction and decided now was as good a time as ever.

“What happened in the mess hall? When you decided that we could take down all three of them?” he started. “I watched your aura, one minute it was a raging inferno of bloodlust, then, a moment later, it was still raging but in a more controllable way.”

Naruto looked at him with eyes wide and then turned to look at the floor. His eyes were darting around looking at nothing. He opened his mouth then shut it again. He looked back up at Sasuke and huffed before looking back to the floor.

“Should I tell him?” he asked the demon. “Can he know?”

_“He already knows in a way. He can see evidence of me in you. Only tell him what you feel comfortable explaining.”_

“There’s a demon locked up inside of me,” Naruto announced.

_“Well, that was to the point.”_

“What!? So, you are possessed,” Sasuke declared.

“No, not possessed. I possess a demon, it does not possess me, exactly,” Naruto tried to explain. “There is like, I don’t know, a prison cell inside my mind that he is trapped in. I was basically made to be his jailer.” 

The look on Sasuke’s face was utter disbelief.

“Look, I am still trying to process the information myself!” Naruto exclaimed.

“So, there is a demon, literally locked up inside of you. With what, a key?”

“He said it was a seal.”

“He said!? It talks to you, like audibly or ...” Sasuke choked on ridiculousness of it.

“I can hear him in my mind. He calls you demon eyes, ok? He said there was no way we could lose in the chow hall,” Naruto argued trying to get Sasuke to belief him even just a little bit.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, “How long have you been hearing voices in your head, Naruto?”

“Oh, you suck, you know that! I didn’t hear him until the whole chow hall thing went down. Right after I told you I didn’t want the extra power I had to go. He said he didn’t want to go either.”

Sasuke’s eyes grew wide. He saw that moment, that exact moment. The moment the raging fire changed to a healthy, growing flame. Naruto wasn’t lying or making this stuff up. And, he didn’t have a mental disorder. He was telling the truth. He had a demon locked, sealed, inside of him.

“Why did, whoever it was, need to seal him? Why is he locked in you? This is something I have never heard of.”

“You believe me? You believe me!” Naruto said in relief. “Oh, thank whatever made this earth. Um, he said he is a very strong demon, not one that needed to possess person. There are nine of them all together, nine super strong demons,” he continued. “He said the Empyreans want them-”

_“Stop right there. He doesn’t need to know anymore. I sense company coming.”_

Naruto turned his attention to the cell door, cocking it to one side. Sasuke was trying to figure out what suddenly stopped him from his explanation. He looked in the same direction. Had he heard someone? The Uchiha knew Naruto’s hearing was sensitive from often being blindfolded but they had been talking, what could he have possibly heard?

Faint footsteps could barely be heard coming done the hall. Both their eyes were focused in the direction of the door just waiting. A tall man, with a mane a white hair that cascaded down his back appeared. He wore simple clothing and had red markings, like tear streaks, coming from his eyes. He was an older gentleman and Naruto beamed as soon as he recognized him.

“Pervy Sage! It’s been a while, how’d you make it back in this time?” Naruto almost shouted. “You going to teach me anything new?”

“Wait, you know him?” Sasuke asked. 

“Don’t call me that!” The man growled. “My name is Jiraiya and you know it. I am a Sage I am supposed to be respected!”

“Yeah, whatever. You going to come in, I mean, it’s not like I can walk up to you,” Naruto continued and then turned to Sasuke, “Oh yeah, I know him. He taught me how to summon those toads to keep me safe. I was all alone until you came along, ya know.”

“I am waiting for Tsunade to come unlock the door. She is trying to find Kakashi,” Jiraiya explained as he seemed to find interest in the bars. “I could break through these no problem, but I think they might get angry about the damage.”

“Are you one of us then, or one of them?” Sasuke asked getting more confused by the moment.

“Technically, I am neither. I am a Sage which gives me the ability to tap into nature’s natural energy. I helped raised Naruto when Kakashi would let me observe was goes on here. The little, blond brat grew on me, I mean he was a toddler just milling around while people took cheap shots at him. I had to teach him a few things.”

Sasuke turned to Naruto, “Is this the only person you haven’t had to burn?”

“Yes,” Naruto quietly answered, he had forgotten he had confessed that. “Pervy Sage is one of the people I’ve known the longest that is still alive.”

“Oh, don’t get him all depressed!” Jiraiya exclaimed as Tsunade appeared by his side. Kakashi wondered into view as the door was unlocked. 

“Ok, kiddos,” Jiraiya began, “Kakashi and I will be your new Masters, for lack of a better word, when you are fully integrated into the new camp. Tsunade will be on call in case either of you get seriously injured. She doesn’t want any of their doctors or nurses touching you unless it is herself or one of her own students.”

“This is our transfer briefing then?” Sasuke asked as Tsunade walked up to Naruto and began unlocking each of the shackles and straps. 

“Yes,” Kakashi replied. “We are letting you out early, so you can use the showers before the others. You need to keep a low profile today. Naruto knows some good places to do that, if I remember correctly.”

“You mean, I know good places to hide, “Naruto corrected. “Are we expected to wear the same uniforms for now then? Orange doesn’t really blend in well.”

“No,” Tsunade answered as she unlocked the last lock, the one around his neck. “I have other clothes for you. They are already set on the benches in shower area.” She then moved to Sasuke and was busy freeing him as Jiraiya approached Naruto.

“So, squirt, I heard you had a bit too much fun last night,” the old man began. “What did I tell you about trying to pull shit like that?”

"Sasuke helped and they deserved it.”


	5. Touch of Freedom

Naruto explained to Jiraiya, with some help from Sasuke, the events of last night. Afterwards, they were told to wait at the back gate after evening meal. Kakashi or Jiraiya, or both, would take them to their new home from there. They asked why it was so secretive but were told they didn’t need to know. Neither of them liked being kept in the dark, especially Sasuke.

Sasuke followed Naruto to the showers after the conversation and was shocked by the sight. It was just a line of showerheads and knobs on either wall with a simple bench down the middle. At least the bathrooms had stalls. Thankfully, there were towels and the clothing Tsunade had promised. 

“I’ve never had this much choice before,” Naruto said as he looked at the room with a smile. “Oh, I bet I’ll actually have hot water this time, too!”

“I would have preferred a bit of privacy myself,” commented Sasuke.

“The best I can give you is I stay on one end while you stay on the other,” Naruto offered.

“That will work. Is there any soap in here?” Sasuke asked as he looked around for any sign of it.

“Yeah, it’s at the far end. I’ll get it for you,” Naruto yelled as he ran and then slid across the slippery tiles before almost falling as he turned the corner. “Heads up!”

A bar of soap came flying over the right wall which Sasuke easily caught. Naruto then appeared back around the corner butt naked.

“HEY! I don’t need to see all that!” Sasuke yelled as he turned around.

“Haven’t you ever been to a public bath? I heard one of the older kids here talking about them when he first got here.”

“We Uchiha are a pretty private clan, thank you very much. Let’s get this over with,” Sasuke growled as he reluctantly began removing his clothes and heard Naruto turn on a shower.

“Sorry to burst your Uchiha bubble, Sasuke, but you are a slave. Privacy is a privilege you probably won’t have too often,” Naruto responded back as he scrubbed himself and began removing bandages.

Sasuke just glared at the wall as he washed himself and removed his own. He hated the idea of being a slave. He was never meant to be a servant to anyone. He didn’t understand how Naruto could say any of that without getting angry. Maybe he was just good at hiding it.

Sasuke heard Naruto’s showerhead turn off rinsing himself of any suds and did the same. He shook his hair out and then realized he never grabbed a towel. He was freezing without the hot water. A towel was suddenly draped over his shoulder. He quickly grabbed it and wrapped it around his waist. He turned facing a smirking Naruto. 

“Are you decent, oh, Lord Uchiha?” Naruto said as he stood there in a mock bow with bandages wrapped around his head covering his eyes and a towel around his waist.

“I hate you. Why are you so weird?” he barked back as he stomped to the bench where the clothing sat.

“Hey! I blindfolded myself so I couldn’t see you and brought you a towel. Could I least get a ‘thank you?’” Naruto whined as he easily found grumpypants, the bench, and the clothing.

“It is really uncanny how you can do that, walk around without your eyes finding everything.”

“Yeah, but I had to learn or else I would have been utterly lost 75% of the time. So, what do the clothes look like? They smell clean and feel soft,” the sight-impaired blond asked lifting the garments to his face.

“Looks like gray T-shirts, boxers, and jeans to me. Oh, and socks? Are we going to receive actual shoes?” Sasuke answered pulling the boxers and jeans on. “You can take that thing off now. I have my essentials covered.”

“What are jeans?” Naruto asked as he set the clothing down and started unwrapping the bandages.

“You’re serious?” Sasuke questioned pulling the shirt over his head. “They are a type of pants, idiot.”

“You have such a nice way of answering questions. I have only been here, remember. I have only been allowed to wear orange scrubs,” Naruto responded back, his head now free from the strips of cloth.

“Hn,” was the only thing that came from Sasuke.

Naruto quickly dressed himself and walked out to the hallway almost running right into a guard as he rocked back on his heels. The guard seemed nervous with wide eyes and they only got bigger as Sasuke rounded the corner stopping beside Naruto. The guard looked around him and then slowly pulled out a bag that had been sitting behind him.

“Lady Tsunade told me to give you these,” he said with a shaky voice. “I mean no trouble, really.”

Sasuke smirked, “How do we know for sure? I mean, you are carrying a weapon,” Sasuke taunted as his eyes shifted to red. People fearing him he could get used to. 

“Please! I have done nothing threatening!” the guard almost squealed as he took a step back with his hands out in front of him.

“You’re scared of us?” Naruto asked eyeing him. “I have never seen you before, are you new?”

“Yes, and I have been warned about you two. I was given this job because I lost a freakin’ bet, ok. Just take the stupid shoes. I don’t want any trouble.”

Naruto turned to Sasuke and shrugged. This was something completely new. He wasn’t angry and knew his eyes weren’t red, unlike Sasuke’s, and yet someone was afraid of them both. Too bad they had to keep a low profile, or this could have been a fun day.

“Well, thanks for the shoes,” Naruto began, “and how are those other three guys doing anyway?” he continued, pulling a pair out of the bag. “We never got to finish the job.”

“Finish the job?” the man croaked.

“Ya know, kill them,” Naruto said, his eyes flashing red with a sudden boost of energy he wasn’t expecting. He wondered if that demon was enjoying his fun.

The guard then looked at them both, backed up slowly a few feet, and ran away. Naruto heard Sasuke make an approving noise and handed the bag over to the Uchiha.

“Naruto, you never got your answer,” Sasuke commented pulling out the other pair of footwear. 

“He seemed a bit distracted,” Naruto smiled as he slipped on the shoes. They were a bit too big, but he just tied them tightly. 

“I am not sure if ‘distracted’ is the right word,” Sasuke quipped, “Maybe more like ‘terrified.’ Man, we must have left them in a bad condition.”

Naruto shrugged looking towards the usual door they used to leave the living quarters and thought better of it. He turned on his heel and headed the other direction. Sasuke was confused but followed anyway. He was willing to explore, at least it had the feeling of freedom.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“Onto the rooftops. Most people won’t notice us there. Plus, it is pretty easy to get around,” the Uzumaki replied. He was now standing in front of one of the few windows without bars and climbed onto the sill. “There is a tree right here we can climb, ya know. We will be out of sight of everyone on the ground but can watch them all we want.”

Sasuke nodded his approval. It would a nice change of pace. He wondered how often Naruto got in trouble for doing this, or maybe this was his escape when he was too young to be useful. Sasuke quickly tailed him as he disappeared from the window, up into the tree, and onto the rooftop. 

Naruto stood surveying the camp, it had been a while since he had been up here. It felt like home more than the cell. He crouched and began making his way over to the south side of the building. He heard Sasuke following not too far behind. The Uzumaki had to admit the black roof tops were easier to walk across in the midday sun with shoes on. 

Sasuke wondered where Naruto was headed until he saw the kid flatten himself along the rooftop, peaking over the edge. He pondered what was so interesting over there. He then heard them, it sounded like guards discussing the events of yesterday evening.

“Are they talking about us?” Sasuke whispered as he low crawled over to lay next to Naruto.

“Seems so. It sounds entertaining,” Naruto quietly answered. “I wonder if they are as worried as that other guard seemed to be.”

Sasuke and Naruto laid there for a minute trying to figure out where the guards were in their conversation. Naruto slowly rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes so he could listen more clearly. Sasuke stayed put, he wanted to watch their facial expressions. They sure were animated about the subject matter.

“That demon strangled him,” the higher voice mumbled, hands to his throat, “with his own whip?”

“How did he not see it coming, though?” another guard, with a ridiculously low voice, commented leaning against the wall. “He basically beat the demon out of him, and not in a good way,” he added shuddering. 

“You’re joking right? What about that Uchiha kid? He has only been here a couple days and somehow made that kid his pet,” a third added while he wiped down his baton.

“Made him his pet? I doubt he had to give any orders. We put him in a cell with the perfect, demonic partner. He’s a freakin’ Uchiha and we put him in a cell with a true possessed,” the second argued spitting out every word like it was venom. 

“What are you saying, we should have expected this to happen? We couldn’t put him in a cell with the older Forsaken, we didn’t know he knew how to fight that well when he first got here,” the first complained pointing a finger at the other.

“The Uchiha is a war clan and you put him in with a demon that probably will take to combat like a fish to water. We created a deadly combo,” the second declared. “Plus, that possessed freak probably killed his parents as an infant before he was found.”

Sasuke flinched as he heard claws rake against the metal roof. He slowly turned his head toward Naruto. His red eyes were open, and an angry hand was grabbing onto the edge of one of the metal slats. He watched as Naruto trailed his tongue along his sharp teeth. Sasuke quickly put a hand on his shoulder and Naruto’s eyes darted to him.

“You need to calm down,” Sasuke whispered. “We can’t draw any attention to ourselves.”

Naruto huffed and closed his eyes, trying to breath in and out slowly to calm himself. He didn’t kill his parents. He wasn’t just a demon for others to control or use. He was a person, an Uzumaki. Sure, he did have a demon inside of him, but he wasn’t created to just be pushed around, beat, and used until he lost his mind. 

_“You ok, boy? You seem to lose it more often than before.”_

“You live inside me, you should know why,” Naruto said to the demon and a hiss escaped his physical lips. “They are the demons not me. Beating people into submission and using them to do all their dirty work.”

_“I do know, but I think this new endeavor of yours will fit us nicely,”_ the dark voiced responded. 

“Us? How can that happen with you trapped behind bars? I mean, I know I can feed off your energy, but how can you do more than that?” Naruto questioned.

_“We’ll figure that out when we get there.”_

Naruto opened his blue eyes with one last huff getting back up into a crouching position and started moving. He motioned to Sasuke to follow as he dropped down the east side of the building into some brush. He wandered through it until he found what he was looking for.

“Is this a training ground?” Sasuke asked.

He looked around the small clearing, there were targets and makeshift log dummies throughout it. He watched as Naruto walked over to a tree and reached under one of its large roots. He pulled out a knapsack and threw it over to him.

“They said you come from a war clan, how well can you use those?” Naruto asked as Sasuke went through the bag.

“These are throwing knives and throwing stars. How did you get ahold of them? We could have put these to good use,” Sasuke inquired as he inspected them. They were a little dull but not rusted. They seemed to be in decent shape.

“Whenever Pervy Sage is nearby he leaves them here so I can practice. He said if I ever got caught using them outside this clearing he’d have one of his larger toads eat me whole,” Naruto answered as he leaned against a tree.

“Can toads get that big? I mean, you are a seven-year-old demon-blood,” Sasuke reasoned.

“Pervy Sage has a toad he summons just to travel with when he is in abandoned country. He rides the thing. Trust me, they can get that big,” Naruto argued as he jerked his head toward a target. “Come on, I want to see what a war clan can do.”

Sasuke smirked and threw a knife that seemed reasonably balanced. He wasn’t as good as Itachi, but the knife hit just slightly off center. He glared at it activating his sight and tried again. As he watched his own throw he observed, throughout the next knife’s flight, what he was doing to throw off his aim. He quickly corrected himself on the third throw.

“Do you approve?” Sasuke asked as he smirked. Naruto seemed a bit annoyed but nodded.

“I suck at this stuff. I am better at hand-to-hand combat. At least, that is what Sir Kakashi says,” Naruto mumbled.

“What are you doing wrong?” Sasuke asked, cocking his head to one side, his eyes still pinpricks of red in the clearing.

“Probably everything. I don’t have people teaching me that often, I kind of have to figure it out on my own,” Naruto commented, walking over and grabbing a throwing star from the sack. He threw it at the target barely hitting the outside edge.

“Well, the rotation is off. I think you need to add a bit more speed,” Sasuke remarked taking a throwing star and demonstrating what he meant. “It will take some practice, but I am sure you’ll get better. Not as good as me, of course.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and threw another star. With each throw, Sasuke would make corrections and throw his own. Soon they were having competitions. Sasuke won most of them. It was fun until they noticed the sun getting low. They quickly collected the weapons and returned them to their hiding place.

They climbed back up onto the rooftop of their old living quarters. Naruto stood up and observed the current state of the camp. Evening chow was about to start which meant a lot of prying eyes would be looking for them. He began scan the rooves trying to find the best way to the mess hall. It looked like they may have to do some acrobatics, but he was sure Sasuke was up for it.

“What do you say to a challenge?” taunted Naruto. “You have make it to the back of the chow hall without being spotted or touching the ground.”

“Number one, you have an advantage, you probably already know a good way. And number two, I will still win,” Sasuke answered back. 

“Like I have any advantage compared to your eyes,” Naruto said as he started running for the ridge of the building heading for the next.

Sasuke had more than an advantage. His eyes could predict every person’s next action on the ground, so he was rarely caught off guard by eyes looking in his direction. Naruto, on the other hand, had to be more careful. He still managed to keep up, finding footholds and little shortcuts here and there that he only knew of from past experiences. Soon they had both landed on the mess hall’s roof, Sasuke’s feet touching it only a few seconds before Naruto’s.

“I win,” Sasuke smirked as his eyes faded back to black. 

“Whatever,” Naruto grumbled. “Let’s see if the old man is willing to serve us out back so we don’t have to deal with the idiots.”

“Our clothes would probably draw attention to us, anyway,” Sasuke added as he dropped down the back of the building.

Naruto pounded on the metal back door while yelling, “Hey, Old Man, I’m hungry back here. All I’ve had today was a meal through a straw!”

The back door swung open to reveal a woman with brown hair held back by a white bandana in a white uniform and apron. She glared at Naruto and then smiled.

“Naruto, why do you have to be so darn loud? I knew you were coming, Kakashi warned us beforehand,” she stated as she turned to a cooler in the back room and pulled out two paper bags. “I doubt you would be welcomed in the mess hall anyway after yesterday.”.

Sasuke and Naruto thanked her as she handed them their bagged dinners and then they headed toward the back gate. They ate as they walked back into the forest behind the building, not really caring what was in the bags. It was nice just to eat solid food without having people in their faces. Before long, Sasuke heard Naruto crumbling up his bag between his two hands.

“How far away is the back gate and do you even know where it is?” Sasuke asked searching through his bag for anything to drink.

“It’s near where Pervy Sage used to teach me a few things,” Naruto shrugged.

“Well, that doesn’t help me much. Why would they have us meet them there? Aren’t there supposed to be people guarding a gate?” Sasuke questioned wondering about what they might encounter as the forest got thicker.

“Not many people go this direction, especially not those Sanctified guards. Supposedly, a great fox demon haunts the woods or something,” Naruto said as he continued to mess with his crumbled paper bag. 

“A fox demon,” Sasuke repeated.

“Yeah, Pervy Sage used to joke about how well I’d probably get along with it, ya know, because I tend to get into trouble for my ‘rebellious attitude’,” Naruto continued.

“Why would a demon haunt here, I mean, it’s a slavery camp. If anything, he could cause some major chaos setting all the Forsaken free, not haunting them,” Sasuke concluded as he crushed his bag in his hand.

_“I don’t haunt anything, the angel-blooded imbeciles. I could take out this forest with one of my tails.”_

Naruto stopped in his tracks and cocked his head to one side. Sasuke stopped a step ahead and turned to look at Naruto. He was staring at the ground, his eyes unfocused. He looked confused and then spoke to nothing.

“Are you saying you’re a fox demon?” Naruto asked out loud, as much as in his mind, for Sasuke’s benefit. He didn’t want to have to fully repeat himself later.

_“THE Fox Demon. Ask the Sage about it later. He knows.”_

“Pervy Sage knows?” Naruto asked the air as much as the thing inside of him.

_“He knew your parents, he trained your father. He is a well of information.”_

“Jiraiya knows what?” Naruto heard Sasuke’s voice say. “I really wish I could hear the other end of this conversation.”

Naruto shook his head and looked up at the Uchiha’s bland expression. He rubbed the back of his neck, giving himself a chance to absorb this information. Pervy Sage knew about the demon. He knew about his parents. But ...

“He knows of the demon locked inside of me, the fox demon,” Naruto replied and then chuckled as he remembered what the demon fox said first. “The demon was annoyed with people thinking he would haunt some woods.” His facial expression quickly turned to confusion, “He said he could take it out the forest with one of his tails?”

“One of? Foxes only have one tail,” Sasuke commented as he turned back in the direction they were headed. “And the Sage knows, huh? Well, maybe he can explain the whole seal thing then. Does that thing talk to you often or just when it feels insulted?”

Naruto laughed at that last question, “Not too often, he seems to like to be in the dark. I mean, I’ve only seen his eyes.”

Sasuke stopped then, Naruto almost bumping into him.

“You’ve seen him. He’s in your mind or whatever, how can you see him?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. I told you before he is behind bars. I have seen those bars and his eyes behind them when I am, ya know, in my mind. There is a room in there that I can go to. Wait, that sounds weird. ARGH!” 

“Knucklehead! You here yet?” they both heard Jiraiya call from a little farther ahead. They started running in that direction. Sasuke was still trying to figure out this “demon locked inside a person” thing while Naruto was trying come up with a way to ask Pervy Sage about it. 

They both skidded to a stop when an open gate and a dark van can into view. Kakashi was seated in the open back, legs dangling over the bumper reading, what looked to be, adult material. Jiraiya looked them up and down and seemed to approve of their attire.

“You’re actually wearing real clothes and shoes. I bet that is a bit of a change for you, Naruto,” he commented leaning against the exterior wall of the camp. “Ok, you won’t be shackled or anything for this ride, but it doesn’t mean you can do whatever your little hearts’ desire, got that?” he began.

“Yes Sir,” both boys responded.

“The camp isn’t far, but we’ll be taking the back roads. Donzo isn’t going to be happy about you two suddenly becoming claimed by Yamato’s training camp although he can’t really throw a fuss. He’s not supposed to house ones as young as yourselves,” Jiraiya explained.

“Yamato, or Tenzo, as I know him, knows you are coming, of course,” Kakashi continued. “He knows what both of you are and plans on training you both to your fullest potential. This is not going to be easy, but I still think you’ll enjoy it more than the useless tasks you were doing here.” 

“Why are you allowing us freedom during the ride?” Sasuke began. “And if Donzo isn’t supposed to have any workers as young as ourselves, how did he keep ahold of Naruto for so long?”

“You always need to know everything, don’t you?” Kakashi sighed as he jumped off the back of the van and put his book away. “Naruto is a special case, Donzo has told everyone the kid is possessed which makes other camps a lot less likely to take him. And the whole no chains thing is because I don’t want to and I don’t see either of you as a threat.”

Naruto stood there for a moment contemplating if he should ask about his situation in more detail. Kakashi didn’t seem to believe that he was possessed, at least not in the other way most people thought. He also might what to at least let them know he knew his exact situation, leaving out a few details. He waited for any type of rebuttal from the demonic fox inside him and received none.

“Do you both know about the demon fox then?” Naruto asked without anymore hesitation. “I mean, that he’s locked inside of me and that I am not just some possessed bomb ready to explode?”

Sasuke glared wondering what the hell Naruto was thinking. Kakashi just stated that he didn’t consider them a threat and then the idiot blonde goes on about a demon locked within himself. That sounds so pleasant and endearing, stupid dolt. They’d get chained up for sure.

“You figured it out, did you?” Jiraiya spoke up. “I filled Kakashi in on the situation, Naruto, but I thought that seal would keep the monster quiet for just a little longer. Interesting.”

“What? What do you mean, keep him quiet?” Naruto asked in surprise. Why did he decide to leave him clueless about this?

“Your clan actually came up with the seal locking that thing away, you know. Your mother was a master of sealing techniques and your father was a quick learner. If the demon is able to speak to you already, it means some of the safe guards put in place are already coming lose,” Jiraiya answered as his approached Naruto with one of his hands blazing with some sort of energy. 

He quickly pulled up Naruto’s shirt with the energy free hand and slammed his glowing palm against the blond’s torso knocking the wind out of him. It revealed an intricate design that looked to be almost burned into his skin. Jiraiya kneeled in front of the boy keeping the energy laced hand on the seal. Naruto was frozen in some sort of paralysis and his eyes were red from the seal being brought to the surface.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi and then back at what was happening before him. Naruto didn’t look good. He looked like he wasn’t even able to speak. Sasuke heard Kakashi approach from behind him and watched as he seemed to be annoyed by the situation. Sasuke needed to know what was going on, he activated his sight.

Internally, Naruto was screaming. Whatever Pervy Sage was doing made it feel like the thing inside of him was trying to claw itself out. It was like his insides were tearing themselves apart.

_“Calm down!”_

Naruto suddenly felt himself get pulled into the dark room and the pain dulled. He gasped, collapsing to his knees and felt the floor vibrate underneath him. The room seemed darker, and as his head turned upward his eyes grew wide. There, right behind the bars, stood a monster of a fox. 

Sharp teeth were clearly visible along his slender, scar-covered snout. His piercing, red eyes were ringed with black fur that extended up to his large ears. Black stripes ran down his cheeks, almost like war paint, while the rest of his fur was an odd, burnt orange. His huge paws had large, dagger like claws protruding from each toe. Along with all those details was his size. Naruto couldn’t take him all in without moving and the mere sight of him was terrifying. 

He then heard the swooshing of, not a tail, but tails. He was having a hard time counting them as they went back and forth slamming into the floor. Naruto slowly stood up on shaky legs as his mind tried to process what he was seeing. This, this what was held behind those bars? What the hell!?

_“I told you to calm down. That idiot on the outside is trying to figure out why the seal is failing. It’s not failing. That’s why it is causing you pain. He is trying to tighten something that doesn’t need tightening.”_

“Ok,” was the only way Naruto knew how to respond to the fox. He could still feel the pain, even though he was somewhat separated from it. “How can I made him stop? I don’t think I can physically talk right now.”

_“Slam some energy into him. It should do the trick. You don’t need much though, just enough to separate his energy from yours.”_

Naruto forced himself back into reality feeling the pain at its full force, but he managed to look Pervy Sage in the eye, his own scarlet, demon fox eyes reflecting back at him. He swallowed hard, and clenched his sharp teeth causing his bottom lip to bleed as the edge of his upper canines cut through. He felt the fox sending energy into his palm and slowly lifted his hand that was now pulsing with reddish orange energy.

“Stop it,” Naruto hissed through his clenched teeth. “It’s already tight enough!”

He slammed his hand into the torso of the Sage kneeling in front of him. Jiraiya was sent back a few feet as Naruto gasped from relief. He had collapsed onto his hands and knees, the fox’s energy still fresh in his veins. He felt his muscles twitch and brought himself back up into a slumped, standing position. His chest was still on fire. He watched as Jiraiya looked at him, his eyes judging him.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Naruto heard Sasuke demand. “His aura is damaged. His energy flow is wrong.”

Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke and felt dizzy. Something wasn’t right. The pain in his chest was not going away, if he moved his head too quickly it felt like he was going to vomit. He wondered if he was about to pass out. 

“I was just trying to tighten the seal back up. We can’t risk that thing getting out before Naruto has any control over it. I didn’t hurt him, there is no way,” Jiraiya announced as he stood up, patting off the dirt.

“It’s already as tight as it will go,” Naruto growled as he closed an eye against the pain, tilting his head to the side. “The fox had to show himself, he was pushed to the front of the cage. You can’t tighten something that is already as tight as it will go without breaking it.”

“What!?” the Sage exclaimed. “You can see him now? Talking to him is one thing, but seeing him? Naruto, then it isn’t tight at all.”

“Did you not hear me!?” Naruto screamed, his pointed teeth on full display. “He was in the cage, the bars weren’t loose, or broken,” he continued and then starting begging. “Help me, please. It hurts so much. I don’t feel right.”

“Naruto,” Kakashi spoke this time, “Sasuke said your aura is damaged. How is this much energy coming off you?”

“The fox, I can draw off his energy when I need to,” Naruto answered and then thought about it. “Maybe he can fix this,” he stated out loud. 

Kakashi and Jiraiya both looked concerned, someone asking the king of demons for help. Sasuke, on the other hand, approached Naruto and watched him closely. With his sight activated he watched as the void in Naruto’s aura seemed to pulse. He smirked, he was really starting to like this demon fox.

_“It will take a bit of time, but I am getting it done. You will look like a demon kit for a while. Serves the Sage right, I hope he realizes what he could have done.”_

Naruto opened his closed eye and looked at Sasuke. He knew by the smirk across the Uchiha’s face he knew what was happening. The blond clenched his teeth again as he felt a surge of energy hit the void in his aura. It hurt at first but now it seemed to be soothing the pain away. He tried to stand straighter, but the vertigo seemed to still be in effect.

“The demon is healing him,” Sasuke announced and turned to look at Kakashi and Jiraiya. “Let’s get going. You said it will take some time, shouldn’t we have left already?”

“You think I am going to let him into a van looking like the demon itself?” Jiraiya questioned. “What if he loses it in that small space?”

“I have never seen him lose it, have you? As Kakashi said while we were chained to the walls, he has only attacked those who threaten him,” Sasuke said as he smiled. “But maybe that’s why you are worried?”

“I won’t attack you, Pervy Sage,” Naruto finally answered. “I only did what I had to do to make you stop. If my eyes are what are bothering you, you are welcome to blindfold me.”

Kakashi watched the Sage consider this and he shook his head. This was ridiculous, Naruto had been getting abused for years and he never attacked anyone without a reason. He never lost his mind. The masked man was sent to the camp to watch him and had been given the combat training job just for show. Naruto never showed any actual possession symptoms, Kakashi just had them give him that label to keep him under his watch.

“Sasuke, help Naruto into the van. Jiraiya, if you are concerned about the ride, you’re welcome to sit this part out. Let Tsunade know we have left the property,” Kakashi ordered, he was not in the mood to put up with this anymore.

Sasuke wrapped an arm around Naruto’s back while grabbing his arm and placing it over his own shoulders. Naruto was easily carrying his weight but couldn’t seem to walk straight. Whatever had happened had messed him up badly. Sasuke decided he didn’t trust the Sage at all. Once they were in the back of the van he lowered Naruto to the floor. Hopefully the ride was long enough for him to recover.

“You’re serious, Kakashi? He’s not even changing back yet,” Jiraiya ranted.

“He can’t,” Kakashi stated simply. “If the Fox Demon is what he is relying on to heal whatever damage you did, he will probably retain its features until he’s recovered.”

“Fine, but I am telling you I didn’t hurt him. That stupid thing is too blame. I will go tell Tsunade you’re leaving. You definitely have more faith in him and the Uchiha than I ever will.”

Sasuke watched as Kakashi approached the back of the van and shut the doors. He then waited for him to climb into the driver’s seat. Naruto was sitting, legs crossed, on the open floor. His head hanging down and eyes closed. His scars were still more exaggerated, and the tips of his canines were still visible. It was weird to see him this way without him angry or annoyed.

“Keep checking his aura,” Kakashi advised as he climbed in and buckled up. “He needs to be as healed as possible before we get to the next camp. Tenzo can only do so much to keep the regulars there from threatening you two. Do you understand?”

Sasuke nodded in response and turned to look back to Naruto. He jumped as Naruto’s eyes were bright against the darkness that filled the van. Man, there was something about him right now that was a bit frightening.

“Sorry, Sasuke. Just thought I should pay attention.”

“It’s fine. That is probably why people get nervous with my red eyes, they are pretty creepy in the dark.”

Naruto turned his head slightly looking at Sasuke and Kakashi as the van started. He smiled as he thought about getting away from this place. He may feel a little weak right now, but he was excited about a change of pace. As soon as the van started moving he grabbed his head, his claws raking through his hair. It was pounding. 

They had been traveling for several minutes and the sun had fully set. Naruto never realized his fox eyes gave him better vision in total darkness. It was a nice surprise. He then heard Sir Kakashi clear his throat and slowly let his hands fall from his head looking in his direction. Sasuke gave the driver his attention as well.

“Now that we are far enough away from Jiraiya, I need to tell you both something. What happened back there was unneeded and yet eye-opening. Sasuke, you can read what the demon is doing?” Kakashi asked.

“Not exactly. Naruto trusts me enough to speak his half of their conversations out loud, so I can usually figure out what is going on. Also, his aura isn’t to hard to read, sort of like his personality,” Sasuke answered.

“Are you saying my aura is loud?” Naruto commented. 

“Did you see what happened when Jiraiya first started initiating the seal?” Kakashi questioned.

“No, not right away. But whatever he did looked like it almost made his energy flow in the opposite direction.”

“No wonder Naruto was in extreme pain, that would be like trying to dam a whirlpool. Naruto, how long can you hold onto that energy without it driving you mad?”

Naruto sat up straighter, even though his head throbbed. He really had no idea. I mean, this was probably the longest amount of time right now and he wasn’t angry or trying to kill someone. This was a totally different element. He looked at his clawed hand and thought for a bit longer.

Kakashi watched though the rearview mirror as Naruto sat there thinking. He was as calm as could be with those predator-like scarlet eyes and animalistic movements. He probably didn’t even notice the way his body moved in this form since he seemed used to it. His eyes darted from one thing to another with precision and the way his hand flexed while he thought was a bit disturbing.

“I am not sure,” Naruto finally answered. “Want me to ask him?”

“Sure, ask him,” Sasuke encouraged.

“Why not?” Kakashi added.

“How long can I do this, Fox, use your energy without going insane? Do you know?” Naruto asked orally for the others’ benefit.

_“Depends on your emotional state, but you could always train to build more of an endurance for it,”_ the demon fox began, _“But, just between you and me, if you loosen this seal or destroy it completely, I have no idea. My energy has already proven to harmonize well with your own. We may be able to fuse them together quite nicely.”_

"Won’t you just try to take me over or something? At least, that’s what Pervy Sage thinks,” Naruto then asked audibly.

_“That would be pointless with the current state of things. They would just keep hunting and trying to destroy me or use me for their own wishes.”_

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.”

Naruto looked up to the two people that had only heard half the conversation trying to figure out how to condense it well.

“The fox says that it all depends on my emotions, but I can train to endure it better, if that makes sense. He says our energies harmonize well,” Naruto summarized. 

“Why were you even talking about actually getting possessed?” Sasuke asked.

"Because it seems to be something that Pervy Sage is dwelling on. I wanted to know.”

“And?” Kakashi prompted.

“I make a good hiding place, I guess. He’d rather not show himself.”

“But you're labeled as possessed, how is he hiding?” the Uchiha questioned.

“Sasuke, remember, he’s not just any demon,” Naruto began and then stopped himself. He wasn’t sure how much, exactly, Sir Kakashi knew.

Sasuke nodded in understanding and then looked over Naurto’s aura again. It was less unusual but still seemed strange. He could see the fox’s own energy gliding along with Naruto’s following the flow. It would only change a bit when hitting damaged sections flaring slightly to mend the abnormality. So, Naruto’s accelerated healing wasn’t only from his clan’s bloodline.

“Sir Kakashi, Naruto looks much better now but I don’t think he is at one hundred percent yet,” Sasuke reported.

“He will probably need to actually rest for that. Most sealing techniques, including seal maintenance, take a lot out of the caster and the recipient,” Kakashi replied. “We have about fifteen more minutes.”

Kakashi kept driving at a slow pace as he considered how to approach the next bit information he planned to share. The Sage had helped raise Naruto, but he seemed more concerned with the demon than Naruto himself. He wanted to make sure the boy understood that without insulting Jiraiya. 

“Naruto, please be careful around Jiraiya. I know he helped you when you were younger many times and I think he is a good match when it comes to training you but he is very concerned about the thing inside of you. Don’t let him see that part of you very often, he seems to think it only means to harm you.”

“Do you think that?” Naruto asked as he looked at the reflection of the gray-haired man in the rearview mirror.

“No. If it wanted to do you any harm it would have already done so. He, the Great Fox Demon, is not something to be taken lightly especially when it willingly helps you.”

Naruto’s eyes opened wide at the knowledge that Sir Kakashi knew a lot more than he expected. Did he know as much as Pervy Sage, or maybe more? He wanted to ask but didn’t know if he should give away more information the Fox had already told him. He could always find out another time.

“So, you know?” Sasuke asked. “Is that why you seemed annoyed with what happened back there?”

“Yes, the seal on Naruto is a special one that is meant to be broken one day, even Jiraiya knows that. It is supposed to slowly loosen over time. To keep re-tightening it is going against its purpose.”


	6. Reputations

When Kakashi pulled up to the gate Naruto and Sasuke stayed still and quiet. They listened to the guard ask for Kakashi’s name and business in the facility. Kakashi easily answered and then mentioned he was meant to hand his “product” over directly to Yamato. Naruto wondered why the man had two names, Kakashi mentioned that he knew the man as “Tenzo.” 

As Kakashi rolled up his window he looked back at the two boys. Two sets of red eyes looked back at him and he smiled under his mask. This was going to be an interesting meeting. Tenzo was going to be more than interested in their training. Compared to the last camp, they were going to feel spoiled. He let himself chuckle at that thought.

Sasuke turned to Naruto with a confused look on his face. Why was this man laughing? Naruto seemed to understand but just shrugged as they started forward again. Sasuke noted the blonde no longer seemed to be nursing any injuries. 

“Yamato will want to test you two tomorrow,” Kakashi suddenly announced. “You will need to rest well tonight, he will not care about your age. He will expect a lot out of you, but I think you will be better suited to his idea of chores.”

“We understand,” Sasuke answered as Naruto nodded.

“I will be back in the afternoon to start your training. Do not let anyone here mess with you. Defending yourselves is fine, in my book,” Kakashi continued. “Just do not show your full potential.”

“Are you wanting us to hide our extra abilities then?” Naruto asked.

“Well, not exactly. You will be marked with what traits you have now and as you grow stronger in combat,” Kakashi explained. “Sasuke will be tattooed with a mark that shows he has advanced sight, something he was born with. Naruto, you will also be marked possessed but I am not sure how they do that here.”

“Wait, what!?” Sasuke exclaimed. “Tattooed?”

“Yes, it’s better than actually being branded. Having your flesh burned off is not pleasant,” Kakashi said waving off Sasuke’s shock. “Anyway, what I mean by not showing your full potential is to act somewhat ignorant of your abilities. You don’t want too many enemies until you actually come of age to be here.”

“So, we have to act ignorant until we’re twelve?” Sasuke replied looking to Naruto who seemed to just be taking in the information without question. ‘

“Basically. You only have to act that way when around others, with Jiraiya, Yamato, and myself you won’t have too.”

“But you said I shouldn’t do this,” Naruto said throwing his hands out and motioning to his face “around Pervy Sage.”

“Well that is true, but I meant when you are with him alone during training. I don’t care when you’re around me. You obviously have some sort of agreement going on with the Demon Fox,” Kakashi shrugged as he pulled the van to a stop and turned the engine off. “Give me a minute, I will let you two out shortly.”

Naruto watched as Sir Kakashi unbuckled himself and left the van, shutting the door behind him. The blond looked around the van as he listened to what was going on outside. Kakashi was talking to someone and mentioned something about not opening the van until Yamato was available. The other voice seemed annoyed by that statement.

“What do you think is going on?” Sasuke asked as he shifted his weight, one leg curled underneath him, the other with his foot flat on the floor and his arm resting on his knee as he glared at the back of the van. 

“Kakashi is refusing to open the back until Yamato is here. The other man, maybe a guard, is saying he needs to inspect us,” Naruto replied with a slight grin. “I wonder if we are allowed a little fun?”

“He did say we could defend ourselves,” Sasuke smirked. “I wonder if that counts when it comes to insults?”

Both boys jumped up into standing positions as they heard the van doors unlatch. Their scarlet eyes sharp and themselves ready. Naruto watched as Sasuke put on the most aloof expression he had ever seen. They both tensed slightly as the doors swung open.

Yamato looked at the Uzumaki and the Uchiha in front of him. His face stayed blank as his large eyes shined with interest. He could feel how strong the Uchiha’s aura was and his eyes were certainly sharp showing promise of developing further. The Uzumaki boy’s aura was unsettling to say the least. Whatever demon had bonded with him seemed to enjoy his host, and by his appearance, the demon was making itself known. 

“Kakashi tells me you both show potential in combat and believe you would make a good guard unit together,” Yamato began. “You will call me Yamato. I will be your overseer.”

The guard watched as the two Mephistophelian slaves stood there in the back of the van as Yamato spoke. The light from the lamp that stood at the edge of the alley didn’t reach into darkness. Shadows covered most of their features, but their crimson eyes stood out. He was told they were only seven years of age and became quickly annoyed when neither boy acknowledged Yamato in any way. 

“You insolent, little bastards,” he began, “you will acknowledge Sir Yamato!” he finished as he right hand pulled out his whip.

“Don’t you dare,” he heard one the boys warn with a voice that echoed with a deep, harsh, frightening undertone. “The last man that pulled one of those on me ended up with that thing around his own neck.”

Kakashi looked to the guard and then back to Naruto. Naruto was down in a crouching position, his head cocked to one side, and his talons ready before him. Sasuke stood next to him with narrowed eyes and arms crossed. Kakashi smirked, he wondered if the guard would heed the warning or not. He wasn’t going to interfere, and he knew Tenzo wouldn’t either. Building a reputation here is what kept you alive. 

"You think you scare me, you possessed little brat!” said the guard as he swung his whip. 

Naruto caught the whip as Sasuke appeared below the man, a spinning, low kick knocking him off balance. Naruto knocked the guard back by landing full on his chest, snarling as he held the whip in his hand. The Empyrean’s eyes were wide with surprise as the feral looking Forsaken glared at him, teeth clenched, and his free, clawed hand reaching for his exposed neck.

“Naruto,” he heard the other demon-blood’s voice say, “you didn’t get a chance to kill the last one.”

The man gulped as he felt the blond boy’s small but strong hand grab his neck and watched as a horrifying smile spread across his face with his tongue running along his ungodly sharp teeth. He went to push the boy off but screamed as he felt his own daggers slice through his hands, pinning them to the ground. When had the other kid grabbed those, when he ran up behind him while attacking?

“That’s enough you two,” Kakashi said in an almost bored tone. “He must have thought you were charity cases instead of actually listening to what Yamato stated.”

The guard watched as the blond one huffed in annoyance and climbed off him, never letting go of the whip. The dark-haired kid grabbed the two daggers and yanked them from his palms, taking them with him. The man winced and hissed, trying to keep himself calm. He went to use his hands to help him up and cried out as soon as he put weight on his wounds. These hell-bound delinquents didn’t just have demon blood, they were demons themselves. 

Kakashi held out his hand and Sasuke and Naruto handed him the weapons they had confiscated. He turned to Tenzo and watched as the man seemed to nod his approval. Kakashi hadn’t expected something like this so soon but they had already started to prove themselves. Hopefully, Jiraiya wouldn’t try to derail their training.

“That thing touched me!” the Sanctified guard shouted as he finally stood up. “That demon-possessed bastard touched me with his bare hands!”

“So, you’re Tainted now until proved otherwise,” Yamato shrugged with his head tilted up looking at the guard from the side. “You should have thought about that before threatening them for something as small as not acknowledging me. Kakashi has told me they both follow orders well from those whom they respect. You obviously won’t earn that any time soon.” 

“What!? I shouldn’t have to earn respect from them, they are slaves! They should face some sort of punishment! That blond thing could be executed for what he just did!”

“You want to admit two seven-year-olds took you down,” Kakashi taunted, “when you’re the one that made the first move?”

Naruto and Sasuke were smirking throughout the entire exchange. Naruto then laughed at the guard as his face turned into one of absolute humiliation. Sasuke’s smirk turned into a wide grin at the sound. 

“How dare you laugh at me!” their would-be punisher growled.

Sasuke’s smile quickly turned into a scowl as he approached the man with no sign of fear. 

“You think you scare us, you piece of Sanctified shit?” Sasuke sneered. “We only stopped because Sir Kakashi told us too. I have no problem with letting him,” Sasuke continued as he pointed to Naruto, the blonde dropping into a fighting stance, “drink your blood while I cut off each of your fingers.”

“Sasuke! That’s enough!” Kakashi warned. “I am sure Yamato will have a conversation with the rest of guards about threatening you two for things that are small infringements of policy. I know you two will take punishment when it’s due.”

Sasuke hissed in irritation but turned on his heel and took his spot back beside Naruto. He let his eyes fade back to black to show his compliance with Kakashi’s statement. Naruto released himself from his fighting stance in response. 

Yamato waved the guard away, sending him to the infirmary. He looked the two boys up and down. They both seemed to have their hang ups but worked well together as Kakashi had said. He had also mentioned this was without any real training. They looked even more promising than before.

“Does the Uzumaki look like that all the time or just when he is dipping into the demon’s energy?” Yamato asked. “It will make him a hard sale, him looking so inhuman.”

Yamato watched as the boy in question dragged his hand through his hair resting it on the back of his neck, his face falling to look at the ground.

“Naruto actually looks rather average normally. We ran into some trouble before we got here,” Kakashi explained. “The Sage tried a technique on him which damaged his energy cycle. The demon is in the process of healing it, thus his appearance.”

Yamato nodded in understanding at the statement.

“Naruto,” Yamato spoke as he watched the child lift only his eyes to look at him, “will you be ready by morning? You seemed to be pretty quick on your feet already.”

“Yes, sir,” Naruto answered dropping his hand from the back of his neck. “You are welcome to blindfold me if my eyes are a problem.”

Yamato looked to Kakashi in confusion at that statement. Why would the boy even mention that, blindfolding him?

“Almost nightly they shackled him and blindfolded him for fear of his eyes back at the work camp,” Kakashi elaborated. “They also shackled Sasuke because of his Uchiha bloodline but for some reason only put a seal over his eyes during transport.”

Yamato nodded at that gained knowledge. If everything worked out the way he imagined it, no shackles, chains, or bars would be able to hold these two soon. They would have to use full aura seals if they wanted to hold them in any way, shape, or form. 

“Let’s take them to their living quarters then. I am satisfied with their performances so far,” Yamato commented as he turned for them to follow him.

Kakashi and Yamato continued to converse ahead of them as Sasuke and Naruto followed a few steps behind. Naruto had yet to lift his head as he watched the ground pass by and Sasuke took notice. He was taught to be proud of his strange and powerful eyes while Naruto was raised to be ashamed of his. The Uchiha hated it. 

As if listening in on Sasuke’s thoughts, Yamato spoke up, addressing them.

“Naruto, you will never be blindfolded without your consent again. Your eyes, whether demon, or human, will not be a problem. Whatever being is currently bound to you is your secret weapon, much like Sasuke’s advanced sight. Never be ashamed of that power in this camp, do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” Naruto responded finally lifting his head. “I have a question. Will we be working with anyone else besides Jiraiya and Sir Kakashi?”

“Yes, but your time with the others will be limited and supervised,” Yamato said with some displeasure. “I do not trust them with you. You two are something a bit different than the others. First off, you both are at least five years younger than everyone else, and secondly, you are also some of the few, if not the last, survivors of your clans.”

“I see,” Sasuke thought out loud as Kakashi turned.

“Because of the last tidbit mentioned, I will be having you study your clan histories and known abilities. I can help Sasuke, but I am not well versed in the Uzumaki history and practices,” Kakashi added to the conversation.

“How can you be of help when it comes to the Uchiha?” Sasuke inquired.

“I will let you know, soon enough.”

Naruto was listening to the conversation until he heard the jingling of keys and the click of a lock. He looked to Yamato as he opened a heavy, barred door to a large building that looked more like the guard’s quarters at the work camp they had just come from. He motioned for everyone to enter.

Sasuke noticed the building was more insulated than their former accommodations. There were rooms on either side of the hallway, barred doors every fifteen feet or so, and eyes peeking through those doors as they continued down the corridor. He, along with the others, were led up two flights of stairs with each floor containing more of these rooms with more curious eyes. They had finally come to the end of the third-floor hallway.

“This will be your room for now. There aren’t many others on this floor, and the few that are, are housed at the other end,” Yamato said as he pointed to the two rooms closest to the stairs. He then unlocked the cell and walked in.

Naruto and Sasuke followed him with Kakashi close behind. The room was a decent size and had two actual beds on opposing walls. There were two barred windows on the outward facing wall and a small bathroom in the back corner with a door. 

“Your linens are in the cabinet by the bathroom.” Yamato continued to explain, “and your current clothing will suffice since your first week here will be testing, me learning your abilities, and you being marked.”

Naruto was actually quite happy with everything until the last part. He had even noticed Sasuke wince at the statement.

“How will meals work out in the scheme of things?” Kakashi questioned. “I doubt you want them joining the normal population too soon.”

“I will have one of my personal guards bring them their breakfast in the morning, the rest of the meals we will figure out as they train.” Yamato than made an amused expression, “It would be fun though, to see some of our troublemakers react to them, especially if these two knew how to handle themselves without causing too much damage.”

“Naruto and Sasuke made a mess of the other camp’s chow hall in a matter of minutes,” Kakashi scoffed, “but the only real damage they did were to the jailer and two guards.”

“I can see how that could happen now,” Yamato quickly replied. “Do you have any questions?” he then asked pointing to the Uzumaki and the Uchiha.

Both shook their heads until Naruto suddenly seemed to freeze.

_“I have done all I can do. I am going to withdraw my energy from you, you will probably collapse as soon as I do. Your body will need to physically recover now,”_ The Fox informed him.

Naruto moved his mouth to speak when his appearance shifted to the blond-haired, blue-eyed, seven-year-old knucklehead who seemed like a threat to no one. His body grew heavy and his eyes couldn’t stay open for more than a few seconds before he started falling to the floor.

Kakashi quickly moved to catch him and then turned to Sasuke.

“How does he look?” he questioned.

Sasuke, understanding his question, activated his sight and looked him over. The Fox’s energy was gone and only Naruto’s remained visible but weak. He relayed this information to Sir Kakashi.

“I knew trying to mess with his seal would weaken him greatly. Looks like the only reason he stayed conscious was from the demon,” Kakashi replied lifting Naruto and laying him on one of the bare mattresses. “He physically took a hit too, look at how pale he has become.”

“What’s going on, exactly?” Yamato inquired as he observed the situation.

“As Sasuke stated to me, it looks like the demon has finished healing the damage but now Naruto’s body gave out due to exhaustion,” Kakashi clarified as he went to the cabinet to grab a blanket for the small boy. “He should be fully recovered by morning, I have never seen someone bounce back as fast as Naruto.”

Sasuke watched as Kakashi laid the blanket over Naruto and Yamato continued to ask for more information about them both. When he realized that nothing else important would be shared with him until the blond could be aware of it, he headed to the cabinet to get his set of sheets for the bed. He silently made the bed and then went back to the cabinet to grab a pillow.

“Sasuke,” he heard Yamato call. “You both will need to be ready by sun up, understand? Do not leave this room unless it is Kakashi or myself who come to get you. Some of the boys that saw you enter earlier may try to come up to investigate, ignore them the best you can,” he warned.

“Who else would try to let us out?” Sasuke questioned as he sat on his bed, removing his shoes.

“I am guessing the guard from earlier may try something if they even let him leave the infirmary or he may try to get another guard to serve you punishment. They won’t have keys to this room, but they may try other things,” Yamato explained. “You are welcome to take their weapons if they are stupid enough to come close enough to the bars.”

Sasuke nodded in understanding and watched as Kakashi bid him farewell. Both men left the cell, locking the door behind them. He then looked to Naruto who hadn’t moved an inch since being laid on the bare mattress. Hopefully the idiot woke up ready for whatever was thrown at them.

***

Kakashi quietly walked beside Tenzo until they were out of earshot of any curious listeners. He had watched their prying eyes as the two younger kids walked through the building. Sasuke and Naruto were going to be ogled and challenged as soon as these trainees thought the little Mephistophelians were alone. They would need to teach them defense tactics that didn’t involve bloodshed quickly.

“I heard you mention that Naruto has a seal. Why?”

Kakashi rolled his eyes at his misstep. He hadn’t wished to explain that situation this soon but Tenzo was more than trustworthy. He wasn’t exactly a normal individual himself.

“Naruto possesses a demon, not the other way around. It is literally locked within him,” Kakashi started as he stopped to lean against the van. “And the thing isn’t your average run of the mill demonic force, it’s The Great Fox demon.”

“Excuse me?” Tenzo exclaimed. “That boy has the Fox Demon of Nine Tails locked within him? Does he even know that or know what that thing is?”

“I think he knows, I am guessing he talks with it more than he lets on.”

“Talks with it?”

“Yes, they communicate. Sasuke knows about that ability too. Naruto relays some of their conversations to him,” Kakashi went on. “The way he reacted to Jiraiya’s actions make me think The Fox, for some reason, trusts the boy with more information than we even know.”

“What do you mean?” Tenzo asked as he joined Kakashi in leaning against the van.

“Naruto knew the seal was as tight as it would go, and he knew trying to tighten it more would harm him. He attacked Jiraiya and basically told him off, he usually trusts him completely. Even if it was painful for him, that kid has been through beatings, lashings, and even shocked and never really started fighting back until very recently,” Kakashi shared as he brought his hand to his chin in thought. 

“The Fox has told him something that made him question things that he had never thought to question before.”

“This could make things very interesting,” Tenzo commented. “I can tell both boys will learn quickly but I wonder, in the long run, where their loyalties will lie.”

“That’s easy,” Kakashi stated simply, “they will lie in each other and anyone who doesn’t threaten that loyalty.”

“I can work with that,” Tenzo nodded. “I will see you back here tomorrow at the old testing grounds. Bring some lunch with you for all of us. I don’t plan on letting them back in this section of the camp before nightfall.”

“Of course, Tenzo,” Kakashi answered as he walked around the van to climb into the driver’s seat.

“Don’t call me that, you are the only one who knows me by that name.”

“Well, that’s your real name and old habits die hard.”

Kakashi shut his door, started the vehicle, and waved goodbye as he drove off. Tenzo shook his head at the man he had known since childhood. Kakashi never faltered to find the more interesting individuals for him to train and these two were exactly what they had been looking for. If everything worked out, they could change everything.

***

Naruto woke up to something soft beneath him. He was a bit confused. He was used to scratchy straw and cold stone. He moved his hand up to touch the thing beneath him and then felt something soft laying on top of him as well. He smiled at this pleasant change and then his eyes widened as he sat up quickly. 

He looked around the room he now remembered walking into but had no idea how he came to be on the bed. The only other time he had been on a bed was when Mizuki had beaten him so close to death that he was stuck in the hospital for days. He grabbed the blanket, pulled it off himself and then looked at Sasuke who was still asleep. He wondered if he should still be sleeping as well since it was still dark outside.

He heard a noise coming from the cell door and turned his head in that direction. There kneeled a masked person staring directly at him. He swallowed as the figure curled a finger telling him to come closer. He took a quick look at Sasuke’s sleeping form and walked quietly over to the mystery man, correction, mystery woman.

“I am here to deliver your breakfast,” she whispered. “You are to be ready for Sir Yamato in an hour.” With that she pushed two trays of food under the door, stood, and disappeared. 

Naruto blinked a few times and then picked up one of the trays to sit on his bed and then went back for the other. He approached Sasuke’s bed trying to figure out the best way to wake him up. He really didn’t feel like getting slapped or something. He decided standing back and throwing something at him would be the best option. Sasuke’s shoes were available.

He grabbed the left shoe and backed up until he was crouching on his mattress with Sasuke’s tray of food lying next to his. He chuckled slightly in anticipation and then chucked the piece of footwear at his cellmate’s back. He covered his mouth with his hands to quiet his laughter as he watched Sasuke’s body tense up as soon as the projectile made contact.

“Naruto, do you have a death wish?”

“No, but I do have your food. It’s breakfast time!” Naruto announced and then ducked as Sasuke quickly rolled over, grabbing his other shoe from the floor, and threw it at the blonde’s surprised face.

It hit the wall behind him as he laughed harder, this time not even trying to suppress it. Naruto then tried to calm himself down as Sasuke just glared at him and drew his hand across his neck.

“You’re dead,” he growled.

“Wait! You should eat first! Killing me will be more satisfying with a full stomach, ya know,” Naruto teased as he looked up and off to the side and then rolled his eyes down to look at Sasuke again.

“Fine, but I will get you back, just you wait.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Naruto walked over with Sasuke’s tray of food and then returned to his bed to eat his own. He lifted the cover and was happily surprised by eggs, toast, an orange, and some milk. This was an improvement from plain oatmeal and water. He looked at Sasuke who also seemed rather content with their meal. 

“You know you just collapsed out of nowhere last night, right?” Sasuke’s voice said as Naruto took a bite of toast.

“It wasn’t out of nowhere. The Fox warned me beforehand, but I had no time to let you guys know.”

“Good thing Sir Kakashi caught you or I am sure you would be even dumber from the fall.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not like I planned it. So, Sir Kakashi put me on the bed then, I was wondering how I got there,” said Naruto as he opened his milk.

“How did you think you got there, idiot? Like I am going to pick you up,” Sasuke responded as he finished off the eggs and started peeling the orange. 

“Is being an asshole a requirement for the Uchiha?”

“No, but obviously being annoying is for the Uzumaki.”

“You’re probably right,” Naruto smiled as Sasuke’s eyes narrowed to glare at him. “But so is being awesome.”

“Awesome, huh? That’s what you call it? Throwing shoes at people just as they’re waking up?”

“I could have dumped your food on you, that was my other idea,” Naruto commented as he dug into his orange.

“Aren’t you guys just adorable,” a strange voice rang out through the air. 

Sasuke and Naruto’s heads both snapped to the direction of the voice.

“Oh, it’s one of you. Yamato told us to ignore all of you,” Sasuke drawled as he turned back to his food. Naruto did the same, it wasn’t like the kid could do anything about their lack of attention anyway. 

“Yamato would never care about two little squirts like you. What, you’re maybe five?” The tall, stout kid with messy, black hair continued.

“You should probably get your eyes checked,” Naruto sighed around a mouthful of egg, “we are a bit older than that.”

“Right, and Yamato, the overseer of this whole place, is training you himself. Is that it? Like he has time for preschoolers.”

“Actually,” Yamato’s voice interrupted, “I do have time for them and Naruto is right, maybe you do need glasses.” He then appeared within sight. “Get out of here, Akane. You are supposed to be taking care of the guard dogs, are you not?”

Akane straightened up immediately and turned to face Yamato. He looked like he was about to shit himself, Sasuke observed. The kid was all talk and no bite from what he could tell. And to be put on the duty of taking care of dogs, that had to mean he didn’t have much potential. Sasuke eyes followed him as he ran quickly down the hallway, almost tumbling to the next floor when he reached the stairs.

Yamato approached the door and unlocked it while keeping his eyes on the Forsaken before him. The Uzumaki did look rather average right now with his unruly blond hair, scarred cheeks, and blue eyes. His movements were even different, not in a bad way. He wasn’t graceful but straight forward. He truly seemed to be a close combat, brute force sort of kid.

The Uchiha’s movements were more calculated, everything he did seemed to be thought out. His mannerisms spoke of actual training which he probably received from his clan before they were wiped out. He would probably be a fan favorite as he grew, like many from his clan. They had that sort of dark, mysterious look to them with dark eyes, slightly paler skin, and dark, inky hair. 

As he strode toward the children before him they stopped eating and turned their full attention to him. They seemed to be studying him as much as he had been studying them. The Uzumaki finished his breakfast as soon as Yamato relaxed, leaning against the back wall. The Uchiha finished his milk and then placed his tray on the end of his bed. 

“What will we be doing today?” Naruto asked as he wiped his face.

“Testing, like I said last night,” Yamato answered effortlessly.

“Like written tests or ...”

“Physical tests that determine your fighting style, strengths and weakness, and potential. The written tests will come later.”

“I hate written tests,” Naruto groaned.

“Oh, shut up,” Sasuke scowled. “It’s not his fault you’re an idiot.”

Naruto sat there, with an irked expression on his face. Sasuke was such a jerk sometimes. 

“Anyway,” Yamato continued, “we’ll be leaving. Sasuke, put your shoes on.”

“Naruto, hand me my other shoe, you know the one I aimed at your face,” Sasuke ordered.

Naruto rolled his eyes and reached back for the shoe and then smiled. He quickly launched the shoe back at Sasuke which the jerk managed to catch rather easily. That’s when Naruto noticed his advanced sight.

“That’s cheating,” Naruto mumbled.

***

Yamato guided his newest trainees to the old testing grounds. He noticed their eyes wander from one thing to the next, taking in their new environment as they walked. Naruto eventually took to the trees and challenged Sasuke to a race of sorts. Yamato became amused when the more serious of the two boys tried to act uninterested, that was until Naruto joked that maybe he was just afraid of heights. Sasuke then looked up into the tree where Naruto relaxed on a branch, pretending to sleep, and climbed up to “kill” him. Yamato let them horse around until they reached their destination.

They now stood in front on him, with a few new scratches, waiting for instructions. Naruto still had a leaf or two in his hair while Sasuke didn’t look to have a single speck of dirt on him. They were one remarkable pair.

“Behind me is the old testing grounds. First, I want to see you spar against each other without any extra abilities or weapons. Then I will exam your use of thrown weapons. The last exam will be a surprise,” Yamato explained. 

“A surprise, like a pop quiz? Because you just told us about it, so you ruined the ‘pop’ part of it,” Naruto responded as he rocked on his feet with his elbows out and hands resting on the back of his neck.

“I swear you just get dumber,” Sasuke retorted. “Not a damn pop quiz. It will probably be a test hard enough to actually challenge us.”

“Oh, well, I guess that makes sense,” Naruto replied as he looked to the sky. “But why does it have to be a surprise?”

Yamato watched in wonderment at how these two treated each other while valuing the other’s existence. Sasuke was annoyed with Naruto’s lack of understanding while Naurto seemed happy being clueless. He claimed he’d rather be having fun than learning boring information while Sasuke valued information as it gave him something to work with. It was a strong bond even if they were complete opposites. 

“Ok, focus. It’s time for you to face each other,” Yamato announced to get back their attention. “You should know enough about the other to have some sort of idea on how to approach your opponent. No use of extra abilities. Just plain hand to hand combat. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” They both responded as they walked to the field and then faced each other. 

Naruto stood there looking excited and ready to go, Sasuke looked just plain bored. Yamato was about to give the single to start and, as soon as he did so, Naruto went barreling after Sasuke. The Uchiha easily tripped him while side stepping.

“You are such a dweeb. What kind of attack was that? I could read that without using my advanced sight,” the Uchiha taunted as Naruto recovered his balance. 

In one quick move, Sasuke had Naruto in a headlock, the blond was grabbing at his arms to break free and then had a better idea. Naruto brought has elbow forward and then forced it back elbowing the dark-haired boy in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

“Yeah, I see how well you are at reading movements,” Naruto answered back as he flicked the end of his nose with his thumb. “Maybe you just forgot I had elbows.”

Naruto eyes then grew wide as Sasuke recovered quickly and landed a punch into his diaphragm which caused Naruto to double over. Sasuke smirked and they continued to exchange blows in a similar fashion. Sasuke seemed to have the upper hand although Naruto got a few good shots in. The spar ended with Naruto pinned on the ground and Sasuke looming over him.

Yamato instructed them through several more sparring matches. He was watching their reaction times, stamina, and learning curve. Even though Sasuke seemed to win most the matches, every now and then Naruto would find a way to out do him and come out on top. Sasuke would blame it on luck and Naruto would argue that he was a sore loser.

Naruto faired a little better when it came to throwing stars and throwing knives but Sasuke still excelled. His upbringing with his clan for the first several years of his life had given him a head start. Yamato watched as Naruto grew frustrated but saw the resolve in his eyes to improve. He was impressed with them for their age. 

Naruto seemed to learn quickly as he watched Sasuke and tried to imitate some of his throws. He was a hands-on learner, no wonder he hated written tests. In a fight, he was the one who would come up with solutions during the action, not before. Tell him a situation asking him how to solve it and he would probably give you a blank stare but put him in the situation and he would surprise you.

Sasuke was very different, although he was quick, he liked to think things through and calculate the best outcome. He would probably be the one to take charge in a situation and then get frustrated when Naruto put his own spin on it. Sasuke would learn how to use Naruto’s spontaneousness to his advantage, and Naruto would learn how to best to complement Sasuke’s plans. 

Yamato’s eyes were still watching the trainees in front of him when he heard Kakashi approach from the tree line. He set a bag down in the grass and stood there observing them himself. The newcomer greeted the boys and then told Naruto how to correct his form. He asked Sasuke if he had learned to use any other weapons before being bought into this life. He mentioned the bow and arrow and Kakashi nodded in approval. 

“Ready for lunch?” Yamato finally called out. 

“Wait, we get lunch here?” Naruto asked. “We only ever were allowed two meals before.”

“We need you to actually grow here. The quicker, stronger, and more trained you become the better. Food is important for you at this camp, we don’t need to break your will to live, we need to get your strong enough to keep others alive,” Yamato explained as Kakashi pulled out some subs and drinks from his bag.

“I hope you don’t mind these, thought they would be easy to eat out here,” Kakashi commented as the boys sat and seemed to inhale their food. “Well, I guess you aren’t bothered.”

The boys were enjoying their food, Naruto especially. Three meals a day would be welcomed by his stomach and he hoped the food variety continued to be as promising. Plain oatmeal, toast, fruit occasionally, plain soup, and dry sandwiches got old after years of those being the only options.

While Sasuke ate, he didn’t notice the type of sub he was eating, or did he care. He was more focused on what their next exam would be. He knew it wasn’t a written test and figured that Kakashi would challenge them in a way that Yamato had yet to. He watched Kakashi carefully as he spoke to Yamato a few yards away. He could read their lips if he activated his sight but as soon as he did, Kakashi noticed and turned his back to him. The man was perceptive. 

After they had finished their lunch, the boys waited for Kakashi to explain the last test. The man seemed to be very relaxed and unconcerned about their impatience. He stood at the edge of the forest, leaning against a tree and reading his book. He finally stood straight, closed his reading material, and placed it in a pouch behind his back. His hand slipped into his right front pocket and pulled out two bells and jingled them. The kids looked at him puzzled and then at each other.

“Get these bells from me,” Kakashi began. “I don’t care if you use weapons or extra abilities, just get them. I am your enemy in this situation, not your teacher or your friend. Treat me as such.”

“You are saying we can use deadly force?” Sasuke assumed.

“Yes. If you don’t get these bells, you both will be headed back from where you came. Trust me, Donzo’s going to beat you into total obedience if you ever go back,” Kakashi finished as both his challengers got down into fighting stances.

Naruto moved before anything else could be said. Kakashi figured this would happen, he would never want to go back to that place. He tended to let his emotions rule him which could be a pro as much as a con. He noticed his appearance hadn’t changed, he must be controlling himself a little.

Sasuke, on the other hand, disappeared into the brush. He would probably watch Naruto's efforts and try to figure out Kakashi’s weaknesses. This was a better plan than a head on attack. Sasuke knew how to use Naruto to his advantage, but maybe Naruto had realized this and that is why he was calm. That would also explain why Sasuke hadn’t spoken out in annoyance.

Kakashi easily dodged Naruto’s first attack and then blocked his second. Naruto wasn’t officially trained in anything, so his attacks were haphazard. He did have power behind them though. Kakashi watched as he grew frustrated and then saw him do something unexpected. He bit his thumb and was about to summon something from the looks of it. 

Two toads popped into existence. One of them, on Naruto’s orders, attacked Kakashi with a water torrent launched from its mouth and, while he dodged it, Sasuke appeared in front of him seeming to take over the hand to hand combat. Naruto then disappeared into the brush along with the toads. Sasuke proved to be a bit more of a challenge to fight but he wasn’t too difficult to block and dodge. This was getting interesting.

As Sasuke spun to launch a low kick, Kakashi jumped to avoid contact and noticed the Uchiha’s advanced sight was now active. He then heard the light whistle of weapons being thrown at him while he was in the air. Kakashi quickly used a substitution technique to replace his very real body with some discarded wood from the ground. He now knew exactly where Naruto was but realized they had a few tricks up their sleeves. 

Sasuke was still crouched on the ground with a small smirk on his face. He was quite happy with how that worked out even if it didn’t accomplish was he was hoping for. It did help him see a technique first hand that looked easy to copy. He quickly darted a fair distance away and kept his eyes on the gray-haired combat specialist in front of him. Something had to work, what was this guy’s weakness?

Kakashi felt the buildup of dark energy to his left, where the weapons had been thrown from. So, Naruto had decided to put the demon in play. The teacher had only seen him use that power in small skirmishes. He wondered if the Uzumaki had any control over it in larger battles. Kakashi moved quickly into the forest and up into the trees. 

“Come on, Naruto, take the bait,” Kakashi mumbled to himself.

Naruto did take the bait but in a surprising way. Kakashi saw some movement a bit behind him and turned. There, crouched on all fours, in the most eerie, predatory stance, was the blond. His eyes were blazing red, his head tilted to the side, and a low hiss could be heard escaping his razor sharp, clenched teeth. He moved fast, jumping from tree to tree with the ease of a jungle cat and Kakashi quickly called up the energy for a fire attack. 

The flames spewed from Kakashi’s mask as he dropped to the forest floor, Naruto caught among them. Sasuke was there waiting for him, and he jumped back barely dodging a jab. There, standing behind the confident Uchiha, was a barely burned and wild looking Naruto. 

“You two are definitely more challenging than I expected but you have yet to actually land anything,” Kakashi lightly taunted.

Naruto chuckled and then the older man realized his feet were weighted down by something. He looked down and realized he was standing in a thick pool of toad oil. Well, this was an unexpected but delightful situation. Naruto knew how to make use of his toads in more ways than one. This was a skill set he could have only learned from the Sage. Kakashi heard the intake of breath and felt the energy buildup, Sasuke knew fire attacks?

Sasuke felt the heat buildup in his chest along with the energy and released it quickly toward the oil the toads had supplied. He was sure they had caught the one-eyed man until Sasuke felt the steam. A water attack, was it to stop the flames? No, it was to thin the oil, the man had gotten free.

“Damn it!” Sasuke yelled in frustration but then heard Naruto leap from the ground. 

The blond was quickly in the trees listening to every sound. He was thankful his advanced hearing was useful in other places besides his cell. He heard footfalls a few trees ahead but waited. His sharp eyes were watching for any sign of traps. He had watched carefully the day Sir Kakashi had gone over how to set up trip wires and how to detect them with some of the older Forsaken that were being trained to be hunters for their masters. 

Sasuke joined Naruto on a branch in the next tree. He watched as Naruto’s crimson eyes darted from one tree to the next and his head jerked to one side or the other at sounds Sasuke couldn’t hear. Naruto seemed to finally focus on something to the east and his hand slowly raised with a lone finger pointing. Sasuke's pristine eyes found them.

Traps set with clear, almost invisible wire in a path through the trees. It seemed like more of a red flag then anything.

“He’s not there,” Naruto whispered still looking at the wire. “I hear him in the opposite direction. I think he set those up before we even started this.”

“Let’s play his game then, set one off and see what happens?” Sasuke murmured back. He pulled out a throwing knife and threw it so it sliced through the closest trap. A tree limp snapped up and would have impaled anyone who had been close. 

Naruto listened to see if Kakashi had reacted. There was nothing.

“No, that didn’t make him do anything,” Naruto reported.

Sasuke decided to throw multiple throwing stars then to set off a multitude of the traps. It wasn’t the best idea. At least a few of the traps had been rigged with small explosives and the shock wave caused dirt to block their field of view. Sasuke felt Naruto grab the back of his shirt and pull him backward and upwards.

“He’s below us now,” Naruto hissed as he hung from a branch by his knees.

“Naruto, I see those blindfolds did give you an advantage. Your ears seem to be quite perceptive,” Kakashi yelled from below.

“How are we going to get those stupid bells?” Sasuke growled, frustrated.

“Take a hostage?” Naruto said suddenly, his own eyes wide in realization. “You know, trade.”

“WHAT!?” Sasuke quietly shrieked.

“Sir Yamato is right back there, it might surprise him if we go after someone else. Throw him off guard,” Naruto reasoned.

“I am sure he can overpower us as much as Sir Kakashi,” Sasuke pointed out, arms crossed and glaring down at Kakashi.

“But, it might surprise him enough to give us a split second to get the bells, right?” Naruto then asked.

Sasuke eyes widened in understanding. Naruto may be clueless when it came to many things, but his plan did give a certain opportunity. Sasuke thought it through for only a few more seconds and then nodded.

“Naruto, listen, let’s pretend to attack Kakashi together. Then, during the fight, go after Yamato like you’ve completely lost it, like the demon is in total control.”

“How, that has never happened?”

“Just keeping attacking him and act like you are growing more and more angry until you snap. Just act like Mizuki.”

Naruto smiled, that was one example he could easily imitate. He had dealt with the man enough in his short life time. The Fox seemed to agree with a low rumble in the back of his mind.

“What about you?” asked Naruto as he slowly climbed down to the branch on which Sasuke stood.

“I’ll get the bells, I have a plan.”

Naruto and Sasuke dropped from the trees to the ground in front of Kakashi. He had heard the boys whispering but couldn’t really make out what was said. He watched their movements. They had been conversing up there for a moment and may have come up with something. Both seemed determined in whatever they were about to do.

Sasuke moved first, his punches and kicks quick and well-aimed. Naruto would attack when Sasuke had to pull away to avoid a blow from Kakashi. They tag teamed like that for a few minutes when, unexpectedly, Naruto had left the area. Kakashi tried to look around to figure out where the blond had run off to but Sasuke’s attacks came faster than before. He finally caught Sasuke in a standing armbar when he heard Tenzo.

“Naruto, what the hell!?” Yamato yelled as the feral looking Uzumaki came bursting from the foliage. “I am not in on this test, what do you think you are doing?”

“You think I am going to let any of you control me. Kakashi may be too fast but I will try my luck on you!” Naruto snarled. “I am sick of this dumb game,” Naruto let the change in his voice become more prominent. The Fox agreeing with the plan earlier made this a bit more fun. 

Yamato looked at the small, blond boy before him with a scowl. He had not planned on this. Maybe the kid could lose control. He decided to try to stay calm and reason with the boy.

Back in the forest, Kakashi looked down at Sasuke who was still trapped in his hold and then back to where he heard Naruto and Tenzo. What the hell had happened? Naruto had never lost it while getting insulted, spit on, and whipped. Maybe he dealt with too many changes and hard situations in the last week. Maybe it pushed him over the edge. Kakashi quickly pushed Sasuke to ground and then went running toward the commotion. 

He came upon the scene of Yamato trying to reason with what looked to be a very possessed Naruto. His face looked like he was about to rip anything to shreds. The dark energy was almost tangibly dripping off him. Kakashi saw his muscles coil and then he lounged right for Yamato’s throat.

Yamato quickly used his wood release to put a wall between the two. Kakashi watched as the crazed boy went flying into it. He landed on the ground with a loud thud, shook his head and then his eyes focused on Kakashi himself. Kakashi was then caught by surprise when a goofy, amused smile spread over the kid’s face.

“Nice one, Sasuke,” said Naruto’s mostly normal voice.

Kakashi then heard an audible jingle behind him and turned. There stood the Uchiha leaning against a tree holding the bells. 

“You should really pay attention when you throw someone to the ground in panic.”

The wooden wall went down, and Yamato stood there looking very confused at, what seemed to be, a very calm Naruto. He observed as the boy slowly moved into a cross-legged sitting position on the ground and stretched. He finally turned to look at Yamato.

“Sorry about all that,” Naruto said as his eyes slowly changed back to normal along with his other features. “We were just trying out a way to distract Sir Kakashi. And just so you know, that wall thing hurt. How did you even do that?”

“That was some good thinking. Who came up with it?” Kakashi inquired as he slowly walked over to Yamato.

“Well, the idiot over there mentioned taking a hostage and trading for the bells. I said that was not going to work and then he mentioned it might distract you. I went with it but added a few tweaks. Seems the knucklehead isn’t as dumb as he looks.” Sasuke explained. 

“Why do you do that? You almost say something nice but ruin it by calling me names,” Naruto whined. “You’re such a bastard.” 

“Well, it worked but, then again, I wasn’t expecting something like that coming from you two. I guess I underestimated what you could and would do,” Kakashi stretched and yawned as he reasoned. “You both pass. Give me the bells, Sasuke. The rest of your day will be spent learning the compound.”

“Not so fast, the sun is still up. We might as well get you both marked while we wait for nightfall.” Yamato amended. “Once marked, you won’t be questioned often by the trainees here.” 

Naruto and Sasuke agreed with some grumbling. Sasuke already knew he’d be inked and Naruto had no idea what he was in for. As they walked toward the structure that held the quarters that would mark them, Yamato explained with every new skill they gained it would be shown in some way or another on their bodies.

When they were inside the building, Sasuke and Naruto sat as Yamato spoke to one of the workers there. The woman had dark hair with an ashy sheen and hazel eyes. She was loud and seemed to have a dark sense of humor commenting they would the youngest she’d get to mutilate. She had snake tattoos up each arm and would pet them like they were the real thing.

Naruto walked out with a silver bar through the top of each ear marking him possessed and noticed that knowledge didn’t seem to bother the worker in the slightest. He didn’t exactly enjoy the experience put it wasn’t too painful. Sasuke’s tattoo was on the back of his neck towards his left shoulder and mimicked the pattern of his advanced sight. It would be added on to as his sight become stronger. Sasuke was thankful it was small, it burned if anything touched it. 

Yamato took them on a quick tour of the rest of the compound once the sun started setting. He explained they wouldn’t be going to many of these places for several years, but they should still learn what type of trainees would be coming from each building. Afterwards, they were told to return to their living quarters and dinner would be brought to them. Naruto had asked for a new shirt since his current one was a bit singed from his test with Kakashi. Yamato agreed and mentioned he’d also have that brought to the room.

Once they had quickly and quietly returned to their room, the woman from that morning appeared to drop off their meals and two clean shirts, one orange and one dark blue. She locked their cell before she disappeared. Sasuke had grabbed the trays of food while Naruto grabbed the shirts and vanished into the small bathroom to use the tiny stall shower. He reappeared several minutes later wearing the same jeans and the orange shirt while drying his hair.

“Still going to wear orange, are you?” Sasuke asked as he slurped some noodles. 

“Well, I thought the orange one was for me, I have always had to wear it.” Naruto reasoned as he left the towel draped over his head and starting eating.

“Well, that’s good because I hate orange,” Sasuke announced as he went in to take his own shower. “But I love that I actually get some privacy.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and continued eating the tasty noodle soup in front of him. It reminded him of the soup the Old Man would sneak him every now and then when he had been younger, and his beatings would mess up his jaw for a few days. He admitted he would miss seeing him daily but that one was of the very few things he’d miss.

Naruto heard footsteps coming up the stairs after he finished dinner and had begun to put sheets on his bare mattress. Sasuke was coming out of the bathroom at the same time. Naruto had barely finished the hospital corners, like Lady Tsunade had taught him, on the first sheet when Akane showed himself and he had brought a few friends. He looked to be in a foul mood.

Naruto returned to making his bed and Sasuke continued drying his hair. They were waiting for a stream of insults or them to start discussing the “preschoolers” among themselves. There was just stunned silence. Naruto finally lifted his eyes to look at them.

“You’re ... you’re possessed?” Akane questioned.

Naruto rolled his eyes and walked to the cabinet to grab a pillow flopping on his bed without another glance in their direction. He heard Sasuke grunt in annoyance as he slid onto his own mattress.

“Hey! I am talking to you! You have bars. You’re possessed, aren’t you?”

Naruto lazily moved his arm and pointed to Sasuke, “And he is marked an Uchiha, who cares.”

“Why are you here? You are a threat to all of us. Your kind end up brainless killing machines,” another thicker boy growled. “If these bars didn’t stop me, I’d kill you first.”

“You’d fail like the rest of them,” Sasuke spoke up. “He can heal almost overnight. You think you can take on a demon?”

“I have demon blood too! You aren’t special here,” the boy yelled back.

Naruto slowly sat up on his bed and scratched his cheek. After their day, he really didn’t want to put up with this. The bars made his ears burn as his skin tried to heal around them and he doubted Sasuke had much patience left after his ink. He knew the older boys were waiting for some type of vocal response in return, but he had nothing better to say. 

_“Can I take care of this?”_ he heard The Fox almost growl. _“He is too pompous for his own good.”_

“And how do you think you can help?” Naruto said out loud, in habit, for Sasuke.

Sasuke was confused for a moment, he hadn’t said anything to Naruto, but then saw his unfocused eyes. The Fox was speaking up now? He looked to Naruto and then back to trainees who were as confused as he had been in the beginning by Naruto’s question. 

_“Just give me a little control for a moment, like in the forest with the trees. I helped you move remember. I can help you now.”_

Naruto shrugged physically, and then his eyes darted up to Sasuke’s, “I am tired enough not to care,” Naruto announced out loud. “Don’t destroy anything.”

Sasuke’s eyes grew wide as the dark energy came over Naruto, the change happening almost instantly. Naruto eyes darted to the door and a smile creeped up his lips. Sasuke’s eyes changed to crimson and he also glared at the door.

“Demon blood is not equal to demon born,” Naruto’s weird, echoing voice began. “I may be inside this small frame but, trust me when I tell you, I have no qualms with drinking your blood using his teeth and tearing you apart using his fingers.”

Sasuke knew he had nothing to fear from Naruto, or the demon, but could feel the bloodlust oozing out of him. Every one of the boys backed away as Naruto stood, his demon eyes locked on the second kid with predatory type of interest as he slowly moved toward the door. He was smaller than the rest of them by quite a bit, but the way his body moved was frightening.

Once he was at the door, his clawed hands slid onto the bars, his hooked nails causing the metal to shriek. He turned his head to the side and then looked back at Sasuke, his slit pupils growing slightly larger, almost as if waiting for the Uchiha’s approval. Sasuke stood and strode up to stand beside him. He eyes as menacing as Naruto’s.

“How do you plan on killing us?” Sasuke commented, as Naruto’s eyes darted back to the boys.

“I said I’d kill him!” the boy pointed at the blond with fake courage and arrogance. 

“How?” The mixture of the demon’s voice and Naruto’s began. “There seem to be but a few drops of demon blood running through your veins, was one of your parents merely human?” Naruto’s small arm reached out through the bars with his finger curling, daring the boy to come close. “You seem scared. I am the one behind bars, silly boy. You are the one that is free to run.”

“None of us are scared!” Akane proclaimed as he shakily strode forward and went to grab the blonde’s extended arm. “You are ants compared to us.” 

“Ants?” Naruto repeated in annoyance. In a quick movement Sasuke grabbed Akane’s extended arm pulling him towards the door while Naruto’s other hand darted up grabbing the boy’s shirt by the collar pulling him down to meet his eyes. 

“If he doesn’t find you worthy of destroying,” Sasuke began, “I will do so. We were told not to put up with any of you. Plus, you threatened us first.”

Akane swallowed hard and then Naruto swiftly let go hearing more footsteps on the stairs, heavier ones. He backed away from the bars glaring at the group of trainees. Sasuke dropped his own hand from Akane’s arm.

Kakashi appeared at the top of the steps and looked at the group of older boys huddled outside his students’ cell. His eye narrowed. Naruto and Sasuke were close to the door, and they were not relaxed in any sense of the word. He quickly shortened the space between the boys and himself.

“Didn’t you ever hear not to tempt demons?” Kakashi asked the group of boys as they looked at him in surprise. “There is a reason these two are already here at such a young age and it’s not because they are meant to be your playthings.”

A small snarl escaped Naruto lips at that label. Sasuke grunted in approval at Sir Kakashi’s statement. Kakashi approached the door, beginning to unlock it when Akane protested.

“They threatened us! You can’t unlock that door!”

“I can, actually,” the teacher responded as he turned the key. “I need to speak to them and I would rather do that with all of you gone. So, you can leave and return to your own cells for your safety or stay here and hope for the best.”

The herd of boys ran for the stairs and quickly made their way down as soon as they heard the lock release. Kakashi opened the door and walked in. He smirked and left the door open to assure they wouldn’t be back. He lifted his one visible eyebrow watching as Naruto looked down and stepped back. 

“I wasn’t going to do anything,” his voice cracked as all the power left him. “I just didn’t want to hear them calling me that, saying all I’d do is end up killing everyone.”

“Naruto, you aren’t in any trouble. I know you were told to ignore them but, when that many show up outside your cell I can understand why you would feel the need to get them away,” Kakashi responded as he put a hand on the child’s shoulder feeling him flinch. “You won’t receive punishment for that sort of stuff here.”

Naruto only nodded.

“Was Naruto beaten for anything and everything before?” Sasuke questioned. “He didn’t do this with the guard last night.”

“I knew we wouldn’t get into trouble because Sir Kakashi had allowed it,” was the blonde’s simple response.

“Naruto was like that camp’s whipping boy. If something could be blamed on him, it was,” Kakashi explained. “There were few days he didn’t get hit by someone or by something. Jiraiya taught him a few things to try to keep him safe but they could only help so much. He wasn’t supposed to defend himself at all. He actually didn’t really start fighting back until recently.”

“Oh,” Sasuke replied. “Why?”

“You know why, well you should. He’s possessed,” Kakashi sarcastically returned as he sat on Sasuke’s bed. “Basically, he is not considered anything close to human. I mean, none of us here are human really, with angel or demon blood running through our veins, but they literally treated him more like a coming-"

“Plague,” Sasuke finished.

“Yes,” Kakashi nodded. “I am guessing Iruka said that in his lecture again.”

“The day we attacked those three in the chow hall,” Naruto spoke up. “He said we were considered the ‘worse kind of plague to exist,’” Naruto breathed out as his fell into a seated position on his bed.

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Kakashi replied. “Anyway, I came to let you know that the rest of the week will be used to teach you what is expected here and figuring out your training schedules, so you can avoid the older trainees as much as possible. Six or seven already seeing your transformations is enough to start rumors which will make you objects of fascination.”

“One of the boys already threatened to kill Naruto when they noticed the bars in his ears,” Sasuke reported.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have intervened earlier then,” Kakashi fumed. “Never let them do that to you, it’s just their cowardice showing. This place does not exist to train scum, especially those that would kill their own kind from lack of understanding.”

“Understood,” both boys responded.

“Get some rest and let Yamato or I know if anything else comes up,” Kakashi ended as he departed the cell.

Naruto had already lied down and pulled the blanket over himself before he heard Kakashi’s keys turn the lock.

***

Sasuke woke up to the thunder outside. A cold front must have moved in overnight because their room was on the frigid side. He wrapped his blanket tighter around himself and tried to get comfortable. It was useless, the chill was biting through the fabric.

The cold, black-haired boy sat up in frustration and noticed the masked guard behind the barred door. He quickly got up and walked over. She had their breakfast and some hooded sweatshirts to offer. Sasuke mumbled a quiet thank you.

“Sir Kakashi will be coming to see you soon, he wanted me to inform you no outside training today,” her silky voice informed him.

“I would hope not,” Sasuke countered and witnessed the guard vanish. 

Sasuke woke the snoozing blond by throwing the black hoodie at his drooling face. He heard a muffled sound of surprise and then watched as a hand appeared from under the blanket to pull the thick fabric from his face.

“I deserved that,” Naruto yawned as he sat up and inspected the apparel. “Oh nice, it is pretty cold in here.”

“The rain isn’t helping, do these windows have shutters?” Sasuke asked as he walked over to one. “They do!” he exclaimed when he found the handle and cranked them closed. Naruto quickly stood to do the same with the other window. 

Once the windows were closed and the new additions to their wardrobe were secured around them, they decided to fill their stomachs. Thankfully, this morning’s breakfast consisted of spiced hot porridge, a mixture of berries, and hot tea. There was silence other than a few slurps as they ate. Naruto noticed Sasuke eyes shift to the door and then heard him groan in annoyance.

“Seriously, go away. Can we not eat in peace?” Sasuke announced to the repeat visitors at their door.

“The blonde one shouldn’t be here, he is a threat to all of us. I can’t believe you feel safe sharing a room with him,” the thick kid with droopy eyes from last night declared. “I, Hibachi, will find a way to rid this place of him.”

“Just shut up,” Naruto barked. “Do you think I haven’t heard all of this stuff since I can remember? Do you think I don’t know what I am?” he began badgering him as he flung his now empty tray at the door, the dishes clattering across the floor. “I am seven and probably know more hatred and pain than you could ever imagine. JUST SHUT UP!” he yelled at the top of his lungs as he stood.

“You gonna let the demon out again?” taunted Akane. “Come on, let us see what a disgusting creature you are.”

“Disgusting?” Sasuke fumed. “Who is disgusting? The one defending himself or the ones willing to tempt a demon? I am safer in here with him than all of you outside those bars. You are making the wrong people your enemies.”

Unexpectedly, Kakashi appeared behind the two boys, dropped his keys kicking them into the cell, and grabbing the them by the back of their shirts lifting them from the ground. He nodded to Sasuke to pick up the keys and then looked to Naruto. He was going to end this right now.

“Sasuke, open this door. Forget what I said about acting ignorant of your abilities right now,” he instructed. “I might as well give these two a lesson in what an actual demon is capable of,” he continued as the boys’ eyes grew wide. “They are twelve and seem to be asking for that experience.”

_“This is something I will thoroughly enjoy,”_ The Fox immediately responded.

Naruto felt the dark, red energy curl up his spine, closed his eyes and shivered. It had a different quality to it this time. Every horrible memory, every painful experience was fueling it. He didn’t have to hide anything right now, Kakashi had asked for this and, damn, if he was going to deny himself of this experience. He felt his eyes change, the razor-like claws grow, and his teeth lengthen and sharpen. He wanted to tear them apart.

Sasuke unlocked the door feeling the demon seep into the room through Naruto. His eyes activated on their own as a sinister feeling of enjoyment took him over. He pulled the door open and Kakashi did not hesitate as he stepped through, holding the two boys before him and then dropping them to the floor as the Uchiha quickly slammed the door shut. He locked the door and threw the keys back at Kakashi who caught them with ease. He wanted a good shot at them. 

“Now, tell me, Hibachi, how you plan to take that on,” Kakashi probed as he pointed to the silent Naruto still standing next to the bed as his fox demon eyes opened. “I mean, look at him. This is your chance.”

“I will kill him, just you wait,” he proclaimed. “He taunted us and said he was going to tear us apart, drink our blood, and shit.”

“Actually,” Sasuke drawled, “that was the demon talking. I am sure Naruto would do it, but The Fox took the reins last night. He was as sick of you as much as Naruto was.”

“The-the fox?” Akane stuttered. “I don’t understand.”

Kakashi looked at Naruto, the boy was staying unusually calm with all the static of demonic energy swirling around him. His eyes were looking at the floor in front of him, his body still, and his breathing even. He was waiting, waiting for any indication that he was free to show them what he had actually held back last night.

“Naruto,” was all Kakashi had to breathe to cause the Uzumaki’s wild, red eyes to focus on Hibachi and mouth to spread wide grin, showing the wall of spikey teeth. “Do you mind explaining?”

Naruto lifted an eyebrow and then sprinted forward. The boy went to jump up and run but Sasuke grabbed his arms quickly pinning them behind his back.

“The Fox is the demon, he and I have an agreement,” Naruto stated as he landed a punch into the older boy’s gut.

“You have an agreement with it, are you insane!” Akane yelled as he got up to help his friend but Kakashi easily pinned him against the wall.

“They’re mindless savages! How can you even make an agreement with one?” Hibachi gasped as he tried to recover from the blow.

The laugh that escaped Naruto’s lips was a low rumble of thunder. He tilted his head, his hand on his chin, as he let The Fox growl and grumble over the insult. He had been called mindless a few times when he was pulling pranks, but to call this demon mindless and then to add on “savage”, well that was nearly a death wish. He let his eyes sift over the trainee’s expressions.

“Well, the ‘mindless savage’ inside of me is not very happy with your insults. He is wondering if he should just get rid of you. I don’t think Kakashi would allow that type of lesson, though,” Naruto retorted releasing his hand from his chin and holding both his hands in front of him, palms up, flexing his fingers.

“Like you can actually talk to the thing. No one else can hear it. You’re probably playing us all,” Akane yelled in frustration. “As I said, you two are ants!”

“Three, and we are not ants,” Naruto corrected while Sasuke twisted one wrist causing the kid to cry out in pain. 

“Oh, shut up,” the older kid huffed through the pain. “Like you, and the smart ass holding me, have any real talent other than being creepy,” Hibachi continued. “The only reason we haven’t attacked you guys is because how do we know whenever filth you guys carry won’t be spread to us. We may be Mephistophelian, like you, but we are on a different level.”

“A different level,” Sasuke parroted from behind. “Well, that’s true enough, but I think you are misunderstanding things. Our clans were wiped out by Empyreans which means they felt the need to get rid of us and I doubt it was because we were weak.”

“Whatever, bastard. How does that even play into the fact that this idiot in front of me has a mushy relationship with some stupid demon.”

“He was put in me the day my clan died, that’s how,” Naruto answered, slashing his claws across the boy’s chest, ripping his shirt and grazing his skin.

He was quickly becoming bored. All this power running through him, he needed something to do.

“Anyway, The Fox is bored with you,” Naruto begun his new train of thought as he grabbed Hibachi and pulled him down freeing him from Sasuke’s grasp. “He is still curious about your blood though, if it’s as weak as he sensed.”

“What!?” the older boy screamed as Naruto dragged him close enough that the blonde’s demon eyes seemed to make him freeze. His other hand was now coming to rest over his neck.

“I wonder,” the blonde’s voice growing darker, more terrifying, “if I could just have a little taste to find out.” His eyes darted to Sasuke and Kakashi, seeing no sign of them trying to stop him, his clawed thumb raked across his neck just enough to break skin. 

The older trainee held his breath, eyes wide, as he felt the pain from the prick and then slice of his skin. He watched as the red-eyed, wild thing moved his hand to his own face observing the blood that covered the tip of his curved nail. Those demon eyes then shifted to look at Hibachi’s terrified face as the abomination guided his thumb up to his lips and tasted it. Hibachi cringed. 

“You are as weak as The Fox thought. Do you help Akane take care of the dogs?” Naruto sneered. His hand then came to lie on his chest and he twisted his claws through the shirt and skin, hearing him scream. “Is your heart as weak as your blood?”

“STOP!” Hibachi cried. “What are doing!?”

Akane starting cursing and straining against Kakashi, Sasuke quickly knocked out both of Hibachi’s knees and Naruto slid Hibachi across the floor into the wall, dragging a few of the discarded dishes with him. Kakashi pushed Akane in between Sasuke and Naruto. 

Akane shook, these kids were fast, and one of them drank blood. What the hell was going on!? He didn’t have abilities close to this and he was almost twice their age. 

“How weak are you, Akane? Are the guard dogs stronger than you?” Naruto mused as his grabbed the boy’s shirt, pulling him until his face was mere inches away from his own. 

Kakashi watched with interest. Naruto was playing with them but not in any way that directly threatened their lives. Sasuke seemed to be enjoying the game as well. Kakashi was appreciative that there was no major blood loss, although Naruto’s interesting way of judging a person’s strength involved it. He would have to ask about that.

“The only reason you have any strength is because of that hell-bound thing inside of you,” Akane hissed into Naruto’s face. “I bet that thing can’t wait to find someone more worthy,” he finished spitting on the demon jailer’s cheek.

Naruto laughed, wiped the saliva from his face, and then ran a finger down Akane’s cheek as he held him still, “Are you jealous?” Naruto’s finger pushed a bit harder when it reached his neck, pricking his flesh now. He was enjoying this game, the things The Fox allowed him to do were intoxicating. 

Akane flinched at the small burst of pain then felt the nail scape down his neck. What the fuck was he? The older kid had never seen a possessed like this. One who didn’t just act on primal urges like a rabid animal. This kid was more messed up than he could have dreamed. 

Naruto hummed as he tasted the blood off his finger, “The dogs may be weaker, but not by much.” Naruto then let him go suddenly, he dropped to the floor like lead which was followed by a swift kick from the smaller boy. “The Fox finds both of you severely disappointing,” he finished as his heel pressed hard into his spine.

Kakashi looked at Hibachi who was absolutely petrified as Sasuke forced him to stand and then to Akane who had scrambled up as soon as he could. Naruto stood facing them and stretched out his arms in front of him before placing behind his neck. Kakashi heard a finger snap causing Hibachi to squeal in pain and whipped his head back to the Uchiha.

“Every time you come back I am going to break something. I am not putting up with your shit anymore,” Sasuke stated as he pushed the boy toward the door. “Now your turn,” Sasuke continued as he got a hold of the still shocked Akane, quickly grabbing a hand and breaking his index finger causing him to squeal. He followed it through with a thrust kick to groin causing to him fall back to the floor.

Sasuke was satisfied with their fun but wished he could do more. He couldn’t wait until his vision was developed enough to create illusions. He would enjoy torturing idiots like them. He looked at Kakashi who shrugged, pulling out the keys from his pocket. He hooked his arm around to the front of the door to unlock it and the boys rushed to get out. 

Kakashi quickly turned to face them before letting them escape, “How was the lesson, informative?”

The terrified pre-teens looked as him with dish plate eyes and started nodding their heads up and down furiously. 

“Good. Oh, you may want to get those injuries checked out and make sure you don’t injure yourselves anymore,” he called out as they went racing down the hall.

He turned back to his youngest trainees and noticed they both looked calm. Naruto was now spread eagle on his back on his bed and Sasuke stood in the same place he’d been when he had given Akane his new souvenir. The only way he knew otherwise was Naruto still had the demon’s influence in his appearance, and Sasuke’s crimson eyes were still looking toward the place the boys had run off. 

“I actually expected more,” Kakashi began, “you were still holding back, both of you.”

“They barely even tried to fight back, and their demon blood was so weak they might as well be human,” Naruto replied.

“It’s true,” Sasuke clarified. “With my advanced sight I could tell that, their auras were as weak as water going down a sink drain.”

“Sasuke, I figured you could tell, but Naruto, when did you know you had that ability and do you have more?”

Naruto sat up looking at floor and his crimson eyes widened, “The Fox can give me many abilities. He didn’t think I’d be up for using that one, drinking blood and all. He told me last night, when I let him have a little control. I figured if I was going to be called possessed might as well somewhat act like it so people won’t figure out otherwise.”

Kakashi nodded at the explanation but then asked, “What are the other ones?”

“He won’t tell me until I am ready,” Naruto said with a bit of a confused look on his face. “He says there are things I must know and master before he can give me more.”

Kakashi had his hand on his chin now, nodding. That was interesting, was it true or did The Fox just want him to grow stronger in his own abilities before using the demon’s he had access to? Only the demon really knew but he would work with it and challenge Naruto with any training he could come up with. 

“Why are you both still so worked up?” Kakashi asked as neither boy seemed to fully relax.

Sasuke’s scarlet eyes shifted to Naruto and then back to Kakashi, “They have come here so often, I am expecting them to send their other friends here to threaten us.”

“It would be stupid, but they do seem like they’d try,” Naruto added.

Kakashi looked back at the door that was still wide open and then walked over to sit on the end of Naruto’s bed. He reached back to his pocket and pulled out a few sheets of paper while still eyeing the door.

“Why don’t we just leave that open for the time being? If anymore of them come up, you can have a little fun. Sound like a plan?” Kakashi reasoned as he unfolded the papers.

>

***

The next several years were filled with training in even the simplest tasks. Anything from manners and etiquette, to hygiene and appearance, to health and exercise, and, of course, combat skills. The young boys were to learn everything that could possibly make them high demand to the elite once they reached auction age. Kakashi and Yamato made sure to cover the simpler classes and training while the boys were still underage for the actual compound. Jiraiya mainly observed waiting for the right time to take over Naruto’s training.

Sasuke and Naruto seemed to excel in different things which made their partnership work. Neither one outshined the other, they were evenly matched and balanced. When they finally reached the age of twelve they were ahead of the game compared to the trainees coming straight from transport. Kakashi and Yamato knew there wouldn’t be a problem with them defending themselves from others, they were more worried about the ones that tried to take them on.

During the years they had also learned more about their clans and tried to apply the knowledge to themselves. Sasuke learned a way to push his eyes to their limit so they’d reach the next stage while also growing strong in his fire and lightning abilities. Naruto found out his clan were adept with seals and water, as much as he had learned earlier with Jiraiya about his air abilities. The Fox also gave hints and tips about things he was sure the boy could learn. Five years had seemed long in the beginning, but soon enough they were ready to join in on regular training exercises.


	7. Twisted Intentions

Sasuke and Naruto sat in a large tree near the entrance of the compound waiting for the load of fresh meat to roll in. They would be considered the same if they hadn’t already been here for almost five years. Naruto sat munching on a slice of toast he had grabbed quickly from his breakfast tray before bounding out of their cell, following Sasuke, to observe this quarterly spectacle. Sasuke had his advanced sight active watching down the road while Naruto listened. 

They had waited for this for quite a while, the day they would be considered actual trainees. They would enter the normal population and have a tad more freedom than before. They had received the basic training classes already and would be ahead of the average first-year, but they’d be attending as many training sessions as possible to help them socialize, as Yamato put it. Kakashi thought of it as more of a way to have their records show they weren’t offered too much special treatment.

Sasuke smirked as he spotted the first van rounding the corner a mile or so down the road. Naruto turned in that direction hearing the tires crunching on the gravel. It appeared there were four vans headed in their direction. Naruto looked up before climbing higher into the tree to get a better view, while Sasuke stayed glued to his current branch observing carefully. 

“Four vans. Ten to twelve kids in each van, you think? They usually pack them pretty tight,” Naruto commented as his blue eyes were able to finally focus on the gray vehicles headed their direction.

“Probably, unless there was another cleansing,” Sasuke stated. “Although, I don’t wish that an anyone, no matter their clan.”

Naruto shivered at the thought, remembering the furnaces and smell of corpses, “Even though it is not one of my chores anymore, I hope the labor camp doesn’t have to deal with any of the cleanup if there was.”

“You can’t even remember your clan’s cleansing, can you? You were a baby,” Sasuke questioned as the vans began to slow, coming close to the inspection area.

“The Fox remembers. He has shown me it,” Naruto answered jumping down to the branch Sasuke inhabited. He didn’t mention it some of it was through his mother’s eyes.

Naruto grabbed his chest and twisted the fabric of his shirt as the images flashed through his mind. He had asked for them, he had to admit. He wanted to know. The Fox had allowed them to play one night in his dreams, or nightmares rather, and they still seemed fresh, like it had happened yesterday.

“Naruto, are you ok? You’re zoning out and about to rip the one clean shirt you have,” Sasuke said pulling the blond out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about what a cleansing was like. Are they through the gate yet?” Naruto replied turning his eyes back to the vans.

“The first one is being inspected,” Sasuke reported. “The guard is already getting a little rough with them.”

Naruto heard a sigh coming from below and looked from where it came. Yamato was leaning against their tree, looking towards the gate. He seemed annoyed or frustrated by something. Naruto shifted on the branch and then jumped down to the ground, beside Yamato.

“What’s up? Are they late or something?” Naruto questioned as he turned to the gate.

“There are more than there should be. If they bring more dog sitters it will be a waste of my time,” Yamato replied. He admitted he shared a bit more information with these two than most, but they had been watching the ins and outs of the compound long enough to know if something was off. “Sasuke, get down here.”

Sasuke landed softly next to Yamato’s other side, “I need you two to try to blend in as best as possible. You are welcome to stay behind the crowd during the arrival orientation exercises,” Yamato began, “but keep an eye on any of these boys that may be a little more interesting than average. We have noticed a rise in actual possessions coming through the gate.”

Naruto smirked, “Actual possessions? Do you want me to be as alert as I can be or ...?”

“As long as you don’t bring any extra attention to yourself. Keep your hood up. You too, Sasuke, watch them closely.”

“Whatever you want, Yamato. If we find one, what do you want us to do?” Sasuke inquired.

Yamato reached into his vest and pulled out ear bud communication devices, “You know how to use these, channel six. Kakashi and I will be available.”

Sasuke and Naruto nodded in understanding. Both had been used to observe the last several deliveries for issues. On one of their more recent assignments, a van had been full diseased children that another camp just wanted to get rid of. Thankfully, Sasuke’s eyes had seen the problem as soon as the back doors had opened. All the kids’ auras had been weak and dull. It had been a plague that had killed half the labor camp’s population. He reported it and Yamato had been quick to take care of the issue. 

Naruto had caught a few runaways in the last shipment as they tried to overpower the gate guards. They had killed half the kids in the van before it had even reached the gates, the driver not knowing because of the thick metal divider between him and the Forsaken boys. Poison needles had been hidden in the seams of their pants. They had used them not only to pick the shackle locks but to also rid themselves of baggage, as they put it. He had easily cornered them, with his new replicate ability. Three Narutos was better than one in that instance. 

As Naruto and Sasuke fitted the devices to their ears and necks, Yamato watched the vans closely. He had received information that a compound, like his own, located in the desert had an individual that had similar qualities as the Uzumaki. There were frightening differences though, the other was unpredictable and feral quite often. He had killed multiple guards and fellow trainees. 

“They’re done,” Yamato announced as the last van pulled through the gate. “You know where they will be unloaded, watch from a distance until all of them are in the arena. You can enter with Kakashi, he’ll be waiting for you.”

Kakashi stood by the entrance as he watched the newest arrivals file in, still chained to each other. Most of them seemed terrified except a select few who just looked furious. At least there were already a few fighters among them. Most looked to be from the Kohaku, Shimura, and Tenma clans. These clans did excel in combat but weren’t known to work well together. The next few days would decide if they would stay or be transferred to a labor camp.

As the pre-teen procession of boys continued, Kakashi felt two familiar energies approaching. His eye shifted to the two Forsaken bringing up the group. Their hoods were up, and they came to a stop right next to him. They both peered up, one smiled and the other smirked. A small nod was all they needed to know to take their places along the back wall. As most of the bodies in the room stilled he felt the slight shift of energy as Naruto and Sasuke took in the arena.

Sasuke’s sight shifted as he felt the pleasant burning of his advanced sight being called upon. He looked over the crowd of possibly forty new candidates and could read their emotional state as easily as seeing the sun on a clear day. He was amused by the few who were agitated rather than fearful. They were grouped together and looked more annoyed with each other rather than their current situation. He also noticed two toward the front that read of rage as they pulled on the chains and yelled in frustration. He saw in his peripheral Naruto suddenly shift.

Naruto had let the demonic power slink over him as he took his spot on the far end of the back wall. He let The Fox reach out into the arena to sniff out any of his kind. The Mephistophelian youth opened his mouth and ran his tongue along his sharp teeth. It had been awhile since he was allowed use this ability, he had been improving and growing his own. He felt his attention drawn to the front few rows, he heard the chains clanging as two boys pulled against them.

_“Them,”_ The Fox stated, _“they reek of demon energy. Do you feel it, the rage? The anger? The bloodlust?”_

Naruto shifted on his feet as he felt it roll across him, “Oh, they feel interesting,” he mumbled to himself. “Not strong though, lower level demons,” he continued within his mind.

_“Yes, elementals, no physical forms whatsoever. You should still report it. They can cause problems to the brats nearby, especially with the way their hosts are reacting to them.”_

Naruto lifted his left hand to the mic and pressed the button, “The two near the front rattling their chains, low level possession.”

Sasuke heard the familiar demon echo in the mic and replied, “Yeah, I noticed them too. Kakashi? Yamato? What do you want us to do?”

“Are they a threat?” Kakashi responded.

“Only to those nearby. The Fox thinks their hosts are reacting in a questionable way,” came Naruto’s answer.

“You two, start moving toward the front. Try to stop them if things escalate,” Yamato ordered.

Naruto shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets and looked to Sasuke. He nodded, and they started walking calmly towards the front. They watched each other’s movements in case one noticed something before the other. A trio of guards entered through the front of the building and began the monotone speech about the newcomers’ new social status, the compound, and what was expected of them. Sasuke saw the duo’s aura become more restless and then shifted to look at Naruto. His teeth were bared and his eyes focused.

_“They are mist demons!”_ The Fox announced.

“And that matters because?” Naruto thought.

_“They sense you, well, me in you. They are not known to be level headed. They may try something,”_ the demon warned.

Naruto continued forward, hissing to himself, as his eyes continued to observe them. As he passed by the other Forsaken boys shackled together he heard the whispers about his appearance but didn’t even pause. He looked over to Sasuke who was matching his stride and then looked to the three guards on stage. The two that weren’t talking seemed annoyed by their presence. 

Sasuke noted that Naruto had picked up the pace ever so slightly. Something was going on. He continued to observe the two who wouldn’t stop jarring their chains. He eyes went wide as the energy in their auras seemed to build and he lifted his hand to the mic.

“Naruto, what the hell is going on?”

Before Sasuke finished his sentence, he heard the chains break and slammed his next step into the floor powering himself forward. He knew Naruto was doing the same. They were both faster than humanly possible, thanks to their bloodlines, but were they fast enough to stop whatever was about to happen. Sasuke watched the guards react in almost slow motion. They had no idea what was transpiring.

Naruto growled as soon as he heard the chains shatter and sent himself forward as quickly as his body would allow. The guards were readying weapons that would have no effect on what was about to happen. Sasuke reached the two possessed a second before Naruto, pushing them to the ground, then ducked as poisoned mist spewed from the duo’s mouths. As soon as Naruto reached them he sent a large blast of wind to disperse the poison in all directions making it ineffective. 

Naruto kneeled and grabbed their throats as he looked them straight in the eyes. The Fox was snarling in the back of his mind, wanting to tear the demons apart. He may have been intelligent but, in his somewhat animalistic mind, these two had tried to attack within his territory. Naruto was reacting to The Fox’s state of mind as much as to his own.

“How dare you,” Naruto snarled darkly. “You knew I was here and you thought I would allow that insolence?”

The boys were trembling beneath Naruto’s grip. They could sense it; the lord of all demons was within this yellow-haired kid in front of them. His eyes were enough proof, the teeth and claws were just more evidence of that threat. They could feel the killing intent as he breathed.

“Demon Lord, we apologize!” the boy to the left exclaimed as his hands wrapped around Naruto’s wrist. “We did not know you valued the life here.”

“My vessel does, and so do I. Leave your hosts or I will personally dispose of you,” Naruto’s layered demonic voice ordered. 

Both possessed boys’ hands were wrapped around Naruto’s wrists now and Sasuke stood behind him facing the guards. They had tried to jump in but Sasuke, along with Yamato and Kakashi, had put a stop to it. They had never seen Naruto converse with other demons, only point them out. Those possessed had never turned hostile within a group of people, only within their cells where they could easily be dealt with without the Uzumaki’s assistance. 

“But Our King, we have no physical form. Where do you wish us to go, if not a body?” the boy on the right questioned.

“Back to hell, your kind have no right to be in a place you cannot physically exist,” was Naruto’s answer.

Both boys turned to look at each other and then began convulsing under the demon jailer’s grip. Naruto sensed the demons freeing themselves from the boys’ minds and bodies and watched as their energy left their hosts and dissipated into nothingness. Sasuke then appeared in front of him with a curious look on his face. 

“Did what I think just happened, happen? Are the demons gone?” the Uchiha asked as Naruto carefully withdrew his crawled hands from the kids’ throats.

“Yes, but I failed our mission. I, for sure, brought attention to myself.”

“That you did,” Kakashi said as his hand squeezed his shoulder, “but you both managed to stop these kids from being poisoned or worse.”

Naruto’s eyes then went wide as he looked up and around to all the faces surrounding him covered with looks of terror. He heard the whispers, the worry from some and felt the disdain and contempt of others. He slowly stood up and pulled his hood farther over his face. He turned to face Kakashi and Yamato and began to apologize.

“I-,” The blond began.

“Naruto, we have had this discussion,” Yamato interrupted. “I am not angry with you. You did not harm anyone. There are times people will see your abilities but you are marked anyway. The observant will already know,” he explained. “And while you did draw attention to yourself it wasn’t because of your choices but theirs.”

Naruto nodded in understanding, “Thanks, but ... may I please go outside for some fresh air?”

“We will both be outside,” Sasuke added. “I think our job here is done. Let us know when we need to join the group.”

Yamato nodded his approval and then ordered the guards to continue the presentation. The two boys that had recently been possessed started to stir. Kakashi followed his trainees out the front entrance.

Naruto screamed as soon as he was out of earshot of the arena. He was frustrated. Every kid in that place had seen him. There was no way anyone missed the way he looked or the way he sounded. And those mist demons, what did they call him? He was up shit creek without a paddle. He punched the air and then screamed again.

_“Calm down! My power is going to be buzzing through you until get ahold of yourself.”_

“Now is not really the time,” Naruto spoke out loud since the two people near him knew of his tenant. “I know I need to calm down, but it is easier said than done.”

“So, The Fox is already saying what I was about to say,” Sasuke spoke as he leaned against a nearby tree. 

“Naruto, you stopped a situation that could have gone terribly wrong. I don’t want to know what that poison or those demons would have done if you weren’t what you are,” Kakashi stated as he kneeled in front of his discouraged student.

“What am I though? Am I just another Mephistophelian? Am I possessed? Am I a plague? I am one of, if not the last, of my clan,” Naruto began rambling. “I mean, those mist demons called me Demon Lord, their King. What the hell?”

_“That title is nothing to be ashamed of,”_ The Fox inserted.

“IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!?” Naruto yelled as he grabbed his hood and pulled it down tight around his face.

“Context please?” Sasuke replied.

Naruto responded by throwing his hands in the air and placing his hood covered forehead against a tree trunk. 

Kakashi stood up, crossing his arms. “You are Naruto, a Mephistophelian, one of the last Uzumakis, jailer of The Fox, and my student. You are all of those things and none of those things limit you or decide your fate.”

“But!” Naruto interjected.

“But what?” Kakashi countered back. “Did I miss something?”

“Well, no. But, those other kids, they won’t know any of that other stuff, they’ll just remember this!” Naruto exclaimed as he pointed to his own face. “LOOK! Sasuke’s eyes may change but I look like something out of people’s nightmares.”

“You give yourself too much credit, there are scarier things in this world,” Sasuke replied with a wave of his hand. “Just calm down. The next time they see you, you’ll be the idiot we all expect.”

“You are such a bastard,” Naruto growled, and then dropped to the ground in a seated position. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He would make the most of the day. He would try to make a good impression. 

_“Or you could just accept what you are and run with it,”_ The Fox mused.

Naruto was then in front of the cage, The Fox lying close enough to reach a clawed paw through the bars. 

“Why did you bring me here?” Naruto asked within the mindscape. 

_“To help you calm down. Just think about what I said. Accept what you are, stop fighting it. You have, so far, done nothing worthy of all the hate you throw at yourself.”_

“But others hate me just from knowing what I am. If I accept what I am, am I accepting their hate?”

_“No. You are just accepting yourself. What others think of you, of us, should be none of your concern. Yamato, Kakashi, and Sasuke think better of you and they are the ones that know you best.”_

“And Pervy Sage,” Naruto pointed out. He thought it through and The Fox was right. He feared other people’s reactions and feelings when, in the long run, those wouldn’t matter. They were all to be sold and go their separate ways. The only people’s opinions that mattered right now were those of his teammate and his trusted teachers.

Naruto took one more deep breath before exiting the mindscape and opening his eyes in the physical world. He lifted his hands and flexed his normal looking fingers. He then pulled his hood off and ran his hand through his hair. Today was going to be interesting.

***

Yamato had decided not to have them join the group until lunch at the mess hall. Sasuke and Naruto had been having their midday meal here for the last year or so. At first, there had been a few challenges but nothing that wasn’t handled in a relatively calm matter. Their reputation had preceded them. 

Sasuke grabbed the tray he was handed and continued down to the few sides and utensils. Naruto was right behind him, talking to the staff as usual. The guy never shut up, but it wasn’t like the staff didn’t enjoy his banter. Sasuke waited for him to get his last few things before heading to an empty table. They had both noticed the extra guards situated around the lunch hall.

“Hey, isn’t he the guy from our first night here?” Naruto pointed out as he opened his milk.

Sasuke lifted his head to see the last guard that had threatened them with a whip on the far wall glaring daggers, “Was it his eyes that gave him away?”

Naruto chuckled, “What are you talking about? It is such a ‘come hither’ look.”

“Come hither? Seriously?”

“Blame it on Pervy Sage.”

“How is that old man?” Sasuke asked as stabbed his fork into his salad.

“Still as pervy as ever. He has taught me a couple new energy control techniques but still hates it if he even feels a speck of The Fox in me. I don’t know what he expects me to do, that thing is in me whether he likes it or not,” Naruto explained.

“Hn,” was Sauske’s only response as he ate. He was surprised Naruto had mentioned The Fox so openly.

Sasuke observed the mess hall after he was finished watching situations play out. So far, not one of new arrivals had come near their table. They were all huddled in the back corner like cornered ducklings. The older-years were trying to intimidate them every few minutes with the cracking of knuckles or a sly comment or two. Three or four of the newbies would snap back every so often trying to say something high and mighty about their clan or commenting about how they would get out of here soon enough.

Sasuke smirked. Sure, there was a large visible wall around the compound but there was also an energy barrier making the place a protected fishbowl. Naruto and himself had spent a day or so throwing things at it to see what it could do to everyday objects. None of those said objects made it through or came back looking nice. Naruto’s welcome broke him out of his thoughts.

“Oh, hey!” Naruto greeted two boys that had just arrived this morning. “How are you feeling?” They were those two.

“Um, are you the one that, that got those things out of us?” the shorter of the two asked, pushing his brunette hair out of his eyes.

“Yeah, you had red eyes before, but you look like him,” the other added looking around nervously.

“It’s a bit complicated. I am Naruto. This guy, who pushed you down to the floor, is Sasuke.”

“Thanks for the introduction, dweeb,” Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes.

“It’s complicated?” the smaller boy asked. “So, you are him? We saw something in you when those demons had control of us. It was like them but different.”

Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose and then began, “Yes, he is like them but different.” He was trying to find a way to explain it without getting too detailed about his affliction.

“Naruto has a relationship with him that is not usually possible with demons. The demon doesn’t make him do crazy things like yours did,” Sasuke took over. 

“Doesn’t it?” Naruto and Sasuke heard a familiar voice say. Naruto wanted to punch its owner across the mess hall.

“How many times do I have to teach you a lesson, Hibachi?” Naruto groaned.

“You can’t do a darn thing here, you’ll have too many witnesses,” he smugly replied.

“He may not be able too, but I will,” Sasuke warned. “You’re weak and ridiculous and you know it. Go back to shoveling dog shit and leave us alone.”

The two new arrivals had made their way to the other side of the table behind Naruto and Sasuke, away from the older boy. They had no idea what was going on but knew the blonde kid had freed them from demons, even if one resided in him.

“Just you wait, I will find a way to rid the planet of that bastard,” Habachi growled.

“Seriously, still stuck on that? I have been here for how long and never been responsible for a single death. Get over it,” Naruto snapped. 

“Leave, now,” Sasuke ordered standing up and leaning over the table. “If you only knew what came in through those gates today you wouldn’t be so worried about him.”

The inexperienced duo looked at each other and then back at the current situation. Was he talking about them, or something else? They watched as the older boy huffed in frustration and walked away to a friend waiting by one of the back doors. They both glared in their direction and then left the building. 

“Who was that?” the taller boy with pale hair asked.

“An annoyance,” Sasuke replied. “He thinks he knows things when he is utterly clueless.”

“Well, technically, he knows more then any of the others. Well, no, Akane knows too,” Naruto added as he leaned back on the bench, placing his hands behind his head.

Sasuke smirked as he looked to his blonde-haired friend, “Oh, that was fun. Wish we could do it again.”

“Anyway,” Naruto segued as he turned to the boys behind him, “if you want to talk we should probably go outside.”

“Are we allowed? We were told we must follow orders. We were ordered to stay in this building and eat waiting for our next task.”

Naruto was glad Kakashi and Yamato had decided to leave them the mics, “Kakashi, those two kids want to talk with me, can we leave the mess hall?”

“I am right outside the east entrance,” came Kakashi’s voice. 

“You’ve been given permission,” Naruto smiled as he stood up.

Naruto led the way out with Sasuke bringing up the back of the line to keep others from following them. Most of the older trainees despised the favoritism they enjoyed, but they had proven themselves responsible. Sasuke and Naruto had agreed it was better the follow Kakashi and Yamato’s orders without question if it meant they received other freedoms, such as this. Then again, they probably also faired better because they had been training here as long as the ones about to be auctioned off. 

Kakashi put his book away as soon as the four Forsaken youths exited the building. He figured the two newbies would want to know something. They had heard and felt what Naruto was, the mist demons had announced it. They also knew Sasuke wasn’t an average first year. That was just as obvious.

“Already making new friends, I see,” Kakashi stated as his students came to stand in front of him. “What are your names?” he asked pointing to the two more nervous individuals.

“Taku,” the short, dark-haired one responded.

“Jin,” the other replied.

“Well, Taku and Jin. I am Sir Kakashi. These two are under my direct supervision. What did you need to speak to Naruto about?” 

Jin spoke first, “We saw it, the demon in him when the ones in us were talking to him. We just, why can he control it and we couldn’t? And his is different, it looks like an animal or something.”

“He looks like a animal because he is a one, a fox,” Naruto explained. “And as Sasuke said, we have an agreement. He can’t ever leave me, unlike yours, so he is stuck with me whether he likes it or not.”

“Naruto, your gift with words will never cease to amaze,” Kakashi sighed as Naruto stuck out his tongue. “Basically, what Naruto said. His fox demon is bound to him in a way lower-level demons can’t be. And it’s not really about control, more about understanding.”

“Understanding?” Taku questioned. “They have an understanding? Ours just took over and we couldn’t even try to understand them.”

“Well, mist demons are known to be jerks,” Naruto said with a wave of his hand. “Not that The Fox isn’t, he is just knows I don’t care.”

Sasuke rubbed him temples, “Naruto, you are not helping. You have a better understanding of demons than most and your nonchalant way of talking about yours probably confuses them more.”

“What, do you want me to bring him out so he can explain it?” Naruto demanded. “I am sure he’d love the attention.”

Jin and Taku stood there with wide eyes, “Bring him out?”

“No,” Kakashi answered. “Trainees are starting to exit the mess hall and I’d rather not give them another show.” He then turned to Taku and Jin, “Just know that some demons have physical forms and others do not. Yours did not, Naruto’s does. His can be reasoned with, yours could not other than by a higher demon.”

“A demon lord,” Taku stated in response.

“Yeah, whatever,” Naruto responded. “We better join the others before Yamato gets irritated.”

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets, turned to leave, and sighed as he started walking over. He had decided to stop fighting with the fact of what he was but answering questions was never going to be easy. He couldn’t just straight up tell them The Nine-Tailed Fox Demon was jailed inside of him. He did sort of gloss over it but, even then, it felt odd. Should he have even told them it was a fox?

Naruto heard Sasuke walking beside him and the other two following not far behind.

“You OK? You seem a bit high strung today?” Sasuke asked.

“I am not OK, I am not even normal. You, you have your things too, but they are normal for your clan. I don’t even have that going for me,” Naruto huffed.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I ever thought you were normal and even I am considered different for my clan. Most of the kids in my clan would have just awakened their advanced sight at my age, where mine is already on another level. Just chill. Today has been weird but it’s not like we haven’t dealt with shittier situations.”

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, “But what do I do if people try to push me, I am not just going to stand around and take it.”

“You’re strong enough without the demon, the only reason you used his help today was because of what we were looking for. We’ve been training for five years already. None of these kids have anything on us.”

“Can we stay near you guys?” Jin suddenly spoke up as they neared the large group of new arrivals.

“That depends if you pass the next series of tests,” Sasuke answered. “They determine if you stay here or get transferred to another camp. We earned our way to this compound already, so these tests will be easy for us.”

“Don’t fail, if you get transferred to the other camp that we came from you’ll wish the mist demons still had control of you,” Naruto warned. 

As soon as Naruto finished they heard Yamato begin his announcement of what the day would involve and what trails lay ahead.

***

Sasuke entered their cell first heading straight for the shower while Naruto followed collapsing on his bed. They had passed the tests easy enough, along with half the others. After everyone was dismissed, Kakashi and Pervy Sage wanted to give them some private lessons. Kakashi was instructing Sasuke in the use of his lightning element since his control of fire was already more developed. Pervy Sage was giving Naruto a step by step guide on how to make a small energy hurricane in the palm of his hand which was far from simple. 

Naruto’s right hand ached and burned. He knew it would heal over night, but it was not very pleasant right now. He tried flexing his fingers which caused his hand to shake. He hissed as his whole arm starting throbbing. He inspected the damage and then leaned over to grab a couple bandages from underneath his bed. Maybe wrapping it would help?

Sasuke exited the bathroom and observed Naruto’s situation, “You should probably clean it first.”

Naruto nodded in agreement and headed for the shower.

Sasuke wasn’t in much better shape. The lightning techniques Kakashi had been drilling into him took a lot of energy and control. His left arm was littered with burns and couldn’t lift the towel from the rack when he had reached for it. Sasuke’s mind flashed back to the night Naruto and himself were shocked as punishment. He had to confess, this was nothing compared to the injures he received from that incident. 

Sasuke watched as Naruto exited the bathroom pulling his shirt over his head. Once seated on his mattress, the blond proceeded to bandage his hand carefully. His teeth held one end of the bandage tight while his left hand wrapped. He flipped his hand over, tied it off, and was happy the pressure the bandages added seemed to dull the pain. He looked at Sasuke who had yet to put his shirt on.

The Uchiha was still trying to figure out if it was worth wearing a shirt. There was a chill in the room but the thought of the fabric even touching his arm was painful. Flopping back onto his mattress with a big huff, he decided against it. As his eyes closed, pulling the blankets up to his chest, he heard Naruto mumble something.

“Who could be coming up here?”

“Please tell me it’s just Kakashi or Yamato,” Sasuke moaned. “I don’t want to deal with any idiots tonight.”

“Hey guys!” Naruto greeted and Sasuke turned his head to look at the door.

“Oh, Jin. Taku. What’s up?” Sasuke asked.

“We are kind of dealing with some trouble at our assigned room. We thought finding you two might help. People seem to usually give you guys space,” Jin explained. Taku nodded in agreement as he spoke.

“The door is unlocked,” Naruto said inviting them in. 

The two boys quickly entered and slammed the door shut. Taku hid behind Jin as they watched the door.

“Oh shit,” Naruto whispered standing up as he heard the gaggle of feet running up the stairway. “Sasuke, we are about to have some company.”

Sasuke threw his blankets off and stood up, “I am not putting up with this bullshit tonight.”

Naruto and Sasuke’s eyes narrowed as the flock of five boys came to rest outside their cell. A few of the groups’ eyes went wide when they realized whose residence the two former-possessed kids had run into. The one that seemed to be the leader whispered something to a wild looking kid behind him.

“Sorry guys, there is no party here. Go the fuck home,” Sasuke demanded. 

“We don’t want to mess with you, but they tried to kill us this morning,” the kid in front uttered while he glared at Jin and Taku.

“The demons controlling them tried to kill you,” Naruto clarified. “They are not a threat to you anymore. Leave them alone.”

“We saw you! We heard you! You are a demon just like they are,” the wild kid growled. “You are just protecting your own kind.”

Sasuke sneered. “I have no patience for this, I am about to throw you down the stairs.”

“Demon lover! Standing there protecting them. They are killers!” a boy in the back responded. 

“You don’t even understand what you are saying,” Sasuke countered. “Do you know of demons and angels? I have watched as angels executed my clan and have witnessed a demon saving lives. Don’t mock me with your ignorance.”

The group shuffled around outside the cell as Naruto slowly moved in front of Jin and Taku. He knew Sasuke would really throw them down the stairs if they didn’t leave soon. Sasuke approached the door, yanked it open with his right arm, and glared at the mob of idiots.

“I told you to leave,” he snarled.

The once bold leader took a step back and looked to those behind him. Two of the boys were already headed down the stairs leaving only three. They no longer had odds in their favor and the boy that stood shirtless in front of him looked ready to rip him apart. The chief of the group shifted his eyes to see the blond one, the one they had all witnessed having some sort of power over demons, now protecting their targets. 

“You can’t protect them forever,” the boy in front declared. “We will get them.”

Sasuke grabbed the back of the kid’s shirt as he turned to run and dragged him into the cell, his last followers raced down the stairs tailing the others. Naruto relaxed as the boy landed on the floor with a thud. The cell door closed with a high-pitched squeal as Sasuke leaned against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Ok, so let me get this straight you little flea,” Sasuke started, “you are going to get them and do what? Threaten them? Beat them? Kill them? It’s just you now. Go ahead, tell me exactly what you plan to do.”

The boy looked at the dark-haired threat in front of him, then to the other three and gulped. His mind was whirling through fears, thoughts, and an ocean of doubt now. He had been listening to a few of the older trainees during mealtimes. These two had been here for years. They both were known to take on guards and come out most of the time on top. They already had been given assignments outside of training regularly which included what had happened this morning. 

“Why are you doubting yourself now?” Sasuke teased as he looked at the ceiling then back to the boy, his eyes a jarring pool of red. “I can see it swirling inside of you. Doubt, fear, you’re terrified. Have you realized your situation?”

The cowardly ringmaster scooted backwards along the floor a foot or two when he hit something. His whole body tensed, and he looked up. The blond stood above him, mirroring the dark-haired kid with his arms crossed and eyes a deep scarlet, his pupils mere slits. The terrified youth noticed Jin and Taku stood just a step behind with not a hint of fear on their faces.

“C-c-can I just leave?” The boy stuttered.

“Leave?” he heard the boy against the door say in a sing song voice. “But you just got here. I thought you were on a personal mission, are you going to abandon it so quickly?”

“Sasuke,” the feeble instigator jumped at the sound. “What do you want to do with him? He doesn’t seem to be happy with our hospitality.” The voice was an inhuman, dark echo that somehow came from the blond kid’s mouth.

Taku come around and grabbed the red-eyed demon’s sleeve to the offender’s disbelief, “Maybe you should let him go, wouldn’t he just be a waste of your time?”

A chuckle came through sharp teeth and Taku didn’t even flinch as those predatory eyes turned to him, “He chased you two all the way up here with a group of weaklings, and Sasuke is tired of this bullshit.”

“I can deal with letting him go tonight,” Sasuke commented offhandedly as he pushed himself off the door and walked over to stand above the shaking nuisance. “But, if you ever cause them to ask for our help again, I will gut you.”

Naruto pulled the boy off the floor and dragged him to the door. He opened it just enough to throw the kid into the hallway. He landed face first, pushed himself up, and scurried away like a frightened mouse. Naruto turned to face the inside of his cell and watched as Jin and Taku looked at him with curious fascination.

“A fox,” Jin breathed and then turned to looked at the now calm Uchiha. “Can he do that whenever he wants?”

Sasuke shrugged, “Why aren’t you asking him? He is still Naruto, just a more aggressive version.”

Taku had already made his way over. He was several inches shorter than Naruto, and Naruto was one of the shorter twelve-year-olds at the compound. The demon jailer just eyed Taku and then rubbed the back of his neck, his claws pricking at his nape, while the boy seemed to be considering every detail of him.

“I can do this whenever I want,” Naruto answered Jin’s inquiry, “but I haven’t really done it much recently. This is the second time in like three months and it was only to scare off that idiot.”

Taku continued to stare at him and then looked back to Jin, “Even his teeth and hands change. Did we look like that?”

“No,” Sasuke answered easily. “We had to actually sense the demons in you, we couldn’t see them with our naked eyes. They were elementals.”

“Elementals,” Jin repeated. “Naruto called them mist demons.”

Naruto quickly replicated himself and sent the copy to find Kakashi or Yamato. The newer inhabitants’ eyes went wide at the sight. He walked over, closed his eyes, and sighed.

“I’ve said this before, it’s complicated,” Naruto breathed. “We’ve had a crazy day already and I’d like to get some sleep. My clone, copy, or whatever you want to call it, went to get one of our overseers to take you back to your cell. He will lock you in so no one can get to you. I will try to answer your questions tomorrow but there are certain things I won’t talk about,” Naruto finished as the last of the demon energy left him. 

Jin and Taku watched as all his features altered back to a more human form. They still had so many questions but nodded in understanding. When Naruto came to sit on his bed, he rubbed his eyes and looked defeated.

“I thought finally being of age here would make this easier,” he mumbled to himself.

“Naruto, when have our lives been easy?” Sasuke countered back.

Yamato appeared in front of their cell and walked in, “Naruto, your copy told me to come here. Is something wrong?”

“Jin and Taku are dealing with vigilantes who think they are a threat to them,” Sasuke summarized. 

“How many?” the Yamato asked.

“Only five.”

With a nod, Yamato left along with the duo once he locked the other pair’s cell. Naruto sat holding his head in thought, he didn’t know what was going to come of this other than more complications. Sasuke had already laid back down thinking about a way to answer the kids’ questions without Naruto having to go into too much detail. He had given up enough information already, maybe they would be satisfied with a basic possession lesson. Naruto finally let his body crumble onto the bed and pulled the covers over himself. Tomorrow was another day.

***

Kakashi decided to personally deliver Sasuke and Naruto’s breakfast today. He had been told the quick overview of what had happened last night, but he needed details. His hand-picked trainees had enough to deal with without this current situation. He was thinking of filling today with research and study.

Kakashi arrived at the boys’ cell to be welcomed by two sleeping forms. Both had been pushed to their limits yesterday with the extra training, it was no surprise they hadn’t awakened yet. He quietly shifted both breakfast trays to one arm and made the other hand busy unlocking the door. 

He saw Naruto stir, the blonde’s sense of hearing was sharper than ever. He had continued to blindfold himself, sometimes during training, to hone that ability. His movements stopped a moment later as a small groan escaped his lips. An arm hung over the side of his bed revealing his bandaged hand. Kakashi just shook his head, the two of them seemed to be dealing with injuries from the extra instruction. Maybe making today a scholastic one was truly in their best interests. 

“Yo! Uzumaki, Uchiha, wake up,” Kakashi announced as he stood between the beds. Sasuke opened one eye and then hid his face in his pillow while Naruto begged for a few more minutes. “I’ll eat your breakfasts,” threatened the masked instructor.

Naruto sat up like a daisy popping out of the snow, “Fine, I’m up. Hand the food over.” His hair was in even more disarray than usual and only one eye was half open.

Sasuke, on the other hand, stretched, slowly rose from his mattress, and headed to the bathroom. Kakashi waited a few moments before Sasuke came back out and grabbed his tray. 

Kakashi gave the two a bit of time to eat and read a few pages of his book. All he heard was utensils hitting plates and the occasional chewing sound. The next time he looked up, Naruto was leaning over his lap, that was holding a now empty tray, with his hands resting on the back of his head. Sasuke was still finishing up his orange juice. 

“What happened last night?” Kakashi inquired which caused Naruto’s tray to go flipping through the air, landing on the floor. Kakashi’s eye went wide at the sudden event.

“I’m about to go full demon on half these kids just to shut them up. I thought I helped them by letting The Fox send those demons away but now people are after Jin and Taku for something they aren’t anymore.”

“Naruto, calm down,” Sasuke began.

“Stop telling me to calm down!” Naruto seethed. “I am tired of this shit and that you have to put up with it too! I’ve been dealing with this for as long as I can remember. All of us are demon-blood here, well you know what I mean Kakashi. Why does this fuckin’ shit keep happening?”

Sasuke and Kakashi turned to each other and then back to Naruto. Sasuke sat trying to fully understand what was going through his friend’s mind but knew he couldn’t. Kakashi figured this would happen soon enough, as Naruto and Sasuke grew stronger so did their challenges. The Uzumaki’s were more mentally exhausting then the Uchiha’s. This was a mountain of a speed bump.

“Naruto, remember the book I had you guys read on the different castes of Empyreans? The one that had them ordered from the impure to purest?” Kakashi asked.

“Yes,” Naruto sighed as he looked up.

“What made the pure, pure? What made them the top rung of the ladder?”

Naruto rubbed his forehead and groaned, “They are said to be divine, to have God-given abilities according to their bloodlines. The purest ones are believed to be the closest things to angels.”

“Good job, Naruto. I am glad you remembered,” Kakashi complimented. “Sasuke, how would you describe the Mephistophelian version?”

“The Mephistophelian version? I am guessing since we are called demon-bloods the ones considered closest to demons?”

“You’re right. The clan thought to be the strongest was yours, Sasuke, the Uchiha. Your clan was said to have the eyes of demons that gave you their powers. But one of your equals was the Uzumaki. They didn’t have demon eyes, but they were said to be immortal unless something or someone actually killed them,” Kakashi elaborated. 

“Ok, so what does this have to do with what is happening right now?” Naruto asked exasperated. 

“Naruto, you are bonded with a demon. It has become a part of you. That sort of messes with the man-made balance of understanding,” Kakashi started his explanation. “The possessed have also kind of tittered on the edge of that balance except people understood their existence and life cycle. They usually have to be disposed of because the demon slowly eats away at their sanity. You throw many people’s understanding for a loop even if they aren’t aware. You are considered possessed and you are not following the normal pattern. People fear what they don’t understand.”

Naruto sat there in thought while Sasuke nodded at the explanation in comprehension. He had read about the Uchiha, but it had been books written by the clan itself. To think about the situations and life in general from a different point of view opened up a new world of thought. Naruto suddenly sat up at attention and looked at Kakashi in horror.

“What do you mean the possessed are usually disposed of? Like killed?”

“Well, yes, but only if they become totally mindless. The few we have gotten here were sent away to a place that specializes in their study,” Kakashi answered carefully.

“So, the ones I showed you before Jin and Taku?”

“Are still alive, Naruto. None of them are dead,” Kakashi confirmed for the blond. “But do you now understand why you are scorned and why Jin and Taku are currently experiencing the same ridicule?”

“I guess, but that doesn’t make it any easier,” Naruto whined as he fell back on his bed. “I guess I will just have to back up Jin and Taku then until people get their shit together.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help,” Sasuke shrugged. “It’s not like you’re smart enough to do that and stay out of trouble.”

“Yeah, because you never want to beat people’s faces in,” Naruto countered sarcastically.

***

After getting Sasuke and Naruto’s version of the events of last night and ordering them to get dressed for the misty, fall weather, Kakashi took his special students to the compound’s small but impressive library. Naruto was tasked with finding a few more books on sealing techniques while Sasuke was told to find more volumes on the different stages of the Uchiha’s advanced sight.

Kakashi, as their instructor, was there to be sure they didn’t destroy anything or get ahold of books that were deemed off limits to trainees. His little book worms were busy trying to find the best the library had to offer while he sat at one of the small tables reading one of his own favorite novels. Yamato had stopped by to let him know Jin and Taku had asked about his pair’s whereabouts between page 123 and 124. 

“Hey, Kakashi,” Naruto whispered. “I think all the good books that cover sealing techniques from my clan are in the restricted area. I can only find one other and it’s not very interesting. What do you want me to do?”

“Do you have the names of those books?”

Naruto handed him a simple print out and he examined the titles. Most of these titles were certainly in the restricted section but Kakashi thought it might be a smart move to pull a few strings. 

“Which one are you most interested in?” Kakashi asked quietly.

Naruto looked around biting his bottom lip, “Well, the Secret Sealing Techniques one actually. I think that is the one that most relates to my situation, ya know?”

Kakashi nodded in agreement, “The Sage is not to know, do you understand?”

Naruto just smiled and walked away looking at the ceiling with his hands behind his back. He knew to distance himself from Kakashi when rule breaking was about to take place. The masked man went back to reading his book for about ten or so minutes before he got up and wondered around until he ended up in the restricted area. He slowly meandered through the titles until the volume in question came into view. He opened it up, acting interested in its contents before walking up to the library clerk. 

The clerk looked at Kakashi and then in the direction of his students. He narrowed his eyes for only a moment before asking for Kakashi’s ID number and giving him a receipt for the book.

“Don’t let that book out of your sight unless it’s in a safe. It has techniques that could seal away monsters or free them,” the clerk warned before letting go of the book.

“Of course, who would want a monster loose in a place like this? Oh wait, that might actually make your day exciting,” Kakashi joked.

“I am serious. I heard there were a couple possessed here yesterday and another kid has the power to release demons.”

“I’ll let you know if I meet them,” Kakashi said in farewell as he slipped the book into his small back pack he had brought for such an occasion. 

He returned to his table and cracked open his small book yet again. Sasuke was probably still looking for material and, knowing Naruto, he was probably trying to find some inappropriate titles just to pass the time. Once it reached a few minutes ‘til noon, Kakashi rounded up his two students, and they were on their way out as soon as Sasuke had checked out his research materials. Kakashi took the books with the promise to drop them off at their cell before sending them off to grab lunch.

The mess hall was already packed by the time the duo had reached the doors. They made it through the line without incident before Naruto noticed Taku and Jin cornered at one of the tables. Sasuke and himself made a beeline for them. It was the five they dealt with last night.

Naruto quietly approached the kingpin of cowards from behind before announcing, “Sasuke, looks like you’ll get to gut someone today after all.”

The boy jumped about a foot in the air and spun around, “Oh, hi. Didn’t know you guys were here.”

“Is there another mess hall I don’t know about?” Sasuke asked with an eyebrow raised and watched as the four other boys suddenly became scarce. 

“No way. We’ve searched this place from top to bottom for years. We know every building and every hiding place,” Naruto pointed out.

“Ok, so why did the flea not know we were going to be here?” Sasuke quizzed as he sat down across from Jin.

“Maybe he was just a bit too hopeful?” Naruto suggested as he sat across from Taku. “Go away, Little Flea. Go find a dog to bother.”

The boy that had been frozen in place gave a quick nod as a response and scampered away. Taku and Jin sighed in relief and began to eat their untouched food now that they weren’t being threatened if they even looked up. Naruto and Sasuke did the same until a carton careened into Naruto soaking his back.

“For the love of angel blood, this was my last good hoodie!” Naruto yelled as he stood up and pulled the wet thing off. “And milk, seriously? It’s going to smell unless I wash it tonight.”

“You can have mine,” Jin offered.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sasuke scolded him. “I can find one easily.”

In what passed as but a moment, Sasuke had the offender locked in a standing choke hold, “Naruto, how about this one? Looks good to me.”

“Yeah, I’ll take that one! Could you get it off its hanger?”

Sasuke glared at the wild kid from last night and growled, “It’s time for you fall asleep, bastard.” He squeezed until the struggling kid fell limp and ripped the dark gray hoodie off him. He then tossed it to Naruto who threw his dairy-covered one onto the comatose kid now lying on the dirty floor.

The Uzumaki shrugged on the hoodie and sat back down, followed by the Uchiha. He began to eat and then ducked.

“Incoming,” Naruto announced as another drink came flying over his head and narrowly missed Taku.

Naruto turned around on the bench, leaning back with this elbows on the table. He smiled at the group of idiots not getting the message. Noticing that Akane and Hibachi seemed to be encouraging the group of first-years, his smile only grew wider.

“Sasuke, you see this? Akane and Hibachi have found some underlings and they are the same ones giving Taku and Jin shit, give or take one or two,” Naruto laughed. “Hey, Hibachi, how is that scar on your chest? Have you told them how you got it?” Naruto taunted.

“Shut up, you demon bastard,” Akane yelled while Hibachi glared daggers. 

“Nah, I don’t want to. Let’s see, one drink hit me, and the other missed but almost hit my friend, Taku here. You get three strikes and already used two. What’s the third one gonna be?”

Hibachi didn’t hesitate as he launched himself at the blonde’s smug face. He regretted it a moment later. 

“Bad choice, strike three,” Sasuke snarled.

He decked Hibachi right across the face. Sasuke’s victim landed on top of the, almost conscious, wild kid decorating the floor.

“Uchiha! Uzumaki!” Yamato roared into the mess hall.

“Yes, Sir!” they both answered back as they stood at attention.

He strode forward, stepping over the two groaning bodies that littered the floor, “Why is there milk all over the place?”

Naruto grinned, “Well, one carton attacked my back and messed up my old hoodie, which I gave to that kid right there. And the other was headed for my head but missed.”

“Oh, and where were they launched from?”

Sasuke pointed to the fleshy speed bumps on the floor. Yamato turned and tapped his foot for a few seconds before shaking his head. 

“How did these two end up on the floor?”

“They ran into Sasuke,” Naruto quipped.

“Different parts of me,” Sasuke clarified, “They didn’t look where they were going.”

“I guess I will need to teach them how to keep their milk on the table, clean a mess hall, and to be more observant,” Yamato bantered back with the most serious expression in his arsenal. “Jin, Taku, if you are done, head to Basic Combat Training early. I will meet you there in a minute. Naruto and Sasuke, don’t you have some research material to read back in your room?”

“What the hell!” Akane screamed as Yamato went to walk away. “Why don’t those idiots receive any punishment for this?”

When Yamato turned to face him, his face looked like it alone could kill someone. Akane immediately shrank into a seated, submissive position.

“Akane, you may just be one of the dog handlers, but you have gone to every basic class offered here. You are never supposed to challenge a superior opponent head on, especially when there are multiple. Secondly, your little group here started the assault, yes?”

Akane nodded.

“Which means they were permitted to retaliate and they were even nice about it. I see no blood or permanent injuries. You’re seventeen now, I could auction you off to a place where you are treated like a dog or you could stay here, taking care of our dogs. Your choice,” Yamato finished.

The overseer turned back to Naruto and Sasuke and pointed to the door. They turned and left without another word being spoken.

***

Naruto and Sasuke were deep into their research material when they heard familiar footsteps outside their door. Naruto quickly shut his book, which had a plain “History of Demon-Blood Relations” book sleeve masking its true identity, and placed it on his bed. Jiraiya came into view not a second later. 

“Naruto, what did you do yesterday? You were acting a bit off during our training and I have been hearing rumors of a boy that can cast out demons,” Jiraiya forewarned. “You did not use The Fox, did you?”

Naruto sat staring at the floor. He knew this might come up but was hoping it would be when Kakashi or Yamato was nearby. He heard Sasuke close his own book and stand up.

“Would you rather two mist demons poison a dozen or more kids, because that’s what would have happened,” Sasuke argued. “Naruto did nothing he was not told to do, he was following orders.”

“The Fox is not to be trusted, he is a demon for pure blood’s sake!” Jiraiya ranted. “Maybe your Uchiha arrogance is clouding your judgement but Naruto should know better, the thing lives inside him!”

“He does,” Naruto interrupted, “and I know him better than you. He has never done anything to threaten me. If anything, he has helped me more times than I can count.”

“Ok, what if that is part of his game? Get you to trust him, and then the one time you give him a little more control he destroys you from the inside out?”

“That won’t happen. He needs me to keep him hidden.” Naruto murmured.

“What was that?” Jiraiya demanded.

Naruto closed his eyes, took a shaky breath, and said just a bit louder, “He needs me as much as I need him. I am not a threat to him and he is not a threat to me.”

“You are insane! You are absolutely out of your little, twelve-year-old mind. Your father did not die so you could go around flaunting a demon’s power until he destroys you,” the Sage declared.

Naruto’s hands were now balled into tight fists, his head hanging low as he clenched his teeth against the anger brewing inside of him. Ever since the day the old perv had tried to tighten the seal, he had been against any use of The Fox at all. He insisted that it was a temptation, a curse, that Naruto had to ignore. That the demon was only there to keep his power from evil people. The Fox had told him, shown him otherwise but Naruto couldn’t just tell that to anyone. 

“I hadn’t dipped into that power for over three months,” the blond finally replied with a shaky voice. “I did it to protect people, to do what Yamato had ordered. I didn’t hurt anyone.”

“You cast out demons in front of a crowd!” Jiraiya bellowed.

“What should I have done? Let people die when I had a way to stop it?” Naruto theorized. “I stopped a bad situation, I freed two possessed boys like me. Why is that so wrong?”

“You just keep drawing attention to yourself like a freakin’ peacock! Is that what you are going for? If the bars in your ears, and the wild red eyes aren’t enough, let’s add ordering demons around,” the Sage almost taunted as he leaned over glaring at the blonde with his hands on his hips. 

Sasuke stood in complete disgust at the Sage’s outburst. They were going through enough shit and this old man was just piling more on. What made him hate The Fox inside Naruto so much? Naruto had been right in saying that The Fox had yet to lead them astray or threaten them in anyway. And no, Naruto wasn’t trying to draw attention to himself, if anything, he hated it. 

Naruto wanted to scream and punch a hole through the wall behind him. He wanted to get the old Sage out of his face so he could breathe. He could feel himself shaking and he admitted there were times he used the power for selfish reasons but yesterday hadn’t been one of them. He hammered a fist into his mattress trying to release some of the tension building up in his chest. He found just enough calm to apologize to the man to get him to move away.

“I am sorry for disappointing you, Pervy Sage,” Naruto apologized with a voice as flat as the sheet underneath him. “I will do what I can to follow orders without The Fox’s help.” The apology felt like sour milk on his tongue. 

“Good boy,” Jiraiya said as he stood back up. “We will train again tomorrow. Hopefully in a year or two, I can teach you the Sage Arts, so you don’t think you have to rely on that thing inside of you.” With that, Jiraiya walked back out of the cell. 

Sasuke couldn’t believe what he had heard leave Naruto’s mouth. He watched his friend closely, wondering if he was truly about to lose his mind. Naruto slammed his fist into the mattress again and cried out in frustration. Then he moved, a fist was headed for Sasuke’s face. The Uchiha caught it easily.

“I can’t do this much longer,” Naruto confessed, his other fist caught a second later. “I can’t keep trying to explain this to Pervy Sage when it never goes anywhere.”

“Then stop,” Sasuke stated. “Learn what you can from him, and stop. He doesn’t really listen to you anyway. He has his opinion and no one is going to change it. I doubt The Fox himself would even be able to.”

Naruto nodded his head once in agreement, pulled his fists away, and turned to the cell door.

“I need some air, want to spar?”

They had gone to the more heavily wooded perimeter of the compound. Naruto and Sasuke were not just sparring but taking out their anger, frustration, and pent up rage on the landscape as much as on each other. Sasuke was enjoying the activity. Even without The Fox’s power, Naruto was savage when he needed to be. It tested the limits of Sasuke’s sight and was a challenge he didn’t get out of any of the combat classes. 

At the moment, he was surrounded by four of the blond and he dropped to the ground while spewing flames into the air. He heard two of the copies dissipate with a hiss as the flames caught them. He other two landed on either side of him. One of them could have been the real Naruto but he doubted it. The original usually enjoyed surprise tactics against Sasuke’s red eyes.

Sasuke jumped as hands sprouted from the ground to grab his ankles.

“You really like that move, don’t you?” he called out before he was tackled in midair.

“Yup, but I’ve improved it just for you!” Naruto answered as he pinned the boy to the ground.

“Don’t think you’ll win that easily, idiot,” he bantered back as he bucked Naruto off and kicked him in the shoulder. The other three Narutos jumped him as the original recovered from the kick. Sasuke sent a bolt of lightning through them which caused them to burn to ash.

Kakashi, while observing one of his classes, heard a commotion deep in the forest behind him and felt the electric current it the air. What had gotten those two worked up? He called over the most senior boy in the class, told him to take over for the last twenty minutes and then dismiss them for the day. He quickly headed in the direction he was sure his specialty cases were blowing off steam.

Kakashi knew he was getting close as he encountered broken branches, craters in the earth, and fallen trees. Thankfully no fires had started, the wet morning had probably kept those at bay. He stopped in a high in a tree and watched as a winded Uchiha and bantered Uzumaki had reached the end of their energy reserves. They both had enough left for one last ditch effort.

Naruto made a bad call and created a wave of water headed in Sasuke’s direction. Sasuke quickly dropped, embedding a palm in the now wet ground and sent an electrical current through Naruto’s water attack. Naruto twitched and jerked as the electricity was pumped into his body then fell to ground, still twitching every few seconds. 

“I-I hate y-you,” Naruto managed through spasming jaws.

“I sort of hate you, too,” Sasuke returned as he collapsed on his back. “I have cuts all over from your stupid wind attacks.”

“Serves you right,” the blonde’s recovering voice responded.

“So,” both boys jumped at the interruption, “what got this going?” Kakashi asked.

Naruto closed his eyes as he lay on the ground and huffed while Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat up.

“The Sage came and gave Naruto another lecture because of the events that took place yesterday,” Sasuke answered as Naruto finally pushed himself up from the ground. “He basically told him to stop trying to get more attention by showing off The Fox. He didn’t approve of Naruto’s actions with Taku and Jin.”

“He called me a peacock and told me my dad didn’t die for me to act like that,” Naruto added as he pulled a clump of vegetation from the ground and threw it. 

Kakashi jumped from the branch and took a seat with the boys on the forest floor. He thought very carefully about what to say without disrespecting Jiraiya. He knew the man’s views on things, but he didn’t agree with them, and neither did Yamato.

“Naruto, what bothers you so much about what Jiraiya says?”

Naruto furrowed his brows in thought and then opened and closed his mouth a few times before actually speaking, “He acts like The Fox is some curse I need to avoid. My dad gave me The Fox and I think that was to protect me but also to protect The Fox from other people trying to abuse his power. My dad wouldn’t want me to just sit on that gift, would he?”

“Your father gave you The Fox?” Kakashi pried confused by his answer.

“The Fox said my mother was killed to get his power and then my dad died to seal him away in me. He said it was the last thing my parents could do to protect me,” Naruto revealed, it was now or never.

“Well, that is something you have never told me before. Do you believe The Fox?”

“Yes, he showed it to me,” Naruto clarified.

“Naruto, what did you see?” Sasuke asked. 

Kakashi nodded at Sasuke’s question and looked to Naruto, “What did he show you that convinces you of the truth?”

“My dad died putting him in me! The seal he used, he had to die for it to work. My mom died because someone ripped The Fox out of her. Even while she was dying, she begged for me to live as these things on my face were burned into my skin from my dad sealing The Fox in me. They both died but made sure I lived.” 

Tears began to fall down Naruto’s scarred cheeks as the broken images flooded his mind, “I am alive because The Fox was hidden again. I am alive because of my dad and my mom. If they didn’t think The Fox would help me, why not do something else with him? Seal him in Hell or something.”

“Is there a way to seal higher demons in Hell?” Sasuke asked trying to process everything.

Naruto laughed around his tears and looked at Sasuke, “Yeah, I was just reading about it before Pervy Sage came to visit.” 

Kakashi sat in thought, there were many sealing techniques that could be used to seal a demon inside a host, but only one, that Kakashi knew of, that would kill you. He only knew one man who had studied it extensively. He should have recognized it the day Jiraiya had activated it. There were things The Sage was not sharing.

“Naruto, may I ask one more question?” Kakashi began and then continued once the boy nodded. “Does The Fox know your father’s name?”

Naruto wiped the few lingering tears from his eyes, “Yeah, he told me it a while ago, in the beginning. I think it was, um, Minato? Why?”

“Minato,” Kakashi repeated shaking his head. Naruto looked a lot like him now that he thought about it and Kushina was said to be able to converse with demons. Of course, she could converse with demons, she was a vessel for the one now residing in Naruto. The Sage undoubtedly had known them, how they died, and who Naruto was as soon as he showed signs of The Fox. In his mind, he was keeping Naruto from that same fate. 

Naruto sat there watching Kakashi in thought. The man wasn’t exactly the most talkative of people, but his silence made the blond a little worried. They had been talking about Pervy Sage, what the old man had said, and why it bothered Naruto so much, and then Kakashi asked about his father. He wanted his name. 

Naruto looked at Sasuke, and the boy shrugged, “Hey, Kakashi?”

Kakashi slowly lifted his eyes back to the kids in front of him, “Naruto, Jiraiya thinks he is protecting you from history repeating itself.”

“What?” Naruto asked in confusion. “How would you know that?”

“I knew your mother and father. I am guessing he knew them and knows how and why they died.”

Naruto looked down at the ground, “He did know them.”

“Did Jiraiya tell you that?” It was Sasuke who asked. 

Naruto shook his head.

“The Fox then,” Kakashi stated.

Naruto nodded to confirm.

“Naruto, try your best to take everything Jiraiya says with a grain of salt. He thinks you will end up like your mother,” Kakashi offered as advice. “Kushina was known to talk to demons, known for her demonic talents, I guess it made her a target. He is afraid those same Empyreans will come after you. I only knew Minato and Kushina died in a cleansing or that’s how it was reported.”

Sasuke watched as Naruto laid down on the forest floor, his eyes wide staring up at the sky through the tree branches. 

“They don’t really know anything,” Naruto started. “The Forsaken cleaning up the area after the cleansing were the ones who found me, who raised me at the camp in the beginning.” Naruto’s voice started changing, his eyes, his teeth, his hands, his scars. “The Empyreans made me watch them kill those Forsaken, made me burn them.” He turned his head to face Kakashi and Sasuke. “They murdered my parents, almost everyone that tried to love me. Am I supposed to take that with a grain of salt?” he practically snarled.

Sasuke knew the feeling. He had mentioned it a couple of times to Naruto and Kakashi. He watched Kakashi now, to see if he was going to try to shut Naruto up. If anything, Kakashi seemed to be agreeing with him.

“Naruto, it seems Sasuke and I have more in common with you than you know,” Kakashi said as he lifted the patch over his eye. “We all have histories that make us hate them.” A red, hypnotizing, Uchiha eye stared back at the shocked boys in the forest. “Go eat dinner, go back to your room, and read your books. Naruto, go to the Reaper Seal chapter.”

After trying to ask Kakashi about his eye, which he shut down immediately, Sasuke and Naruto followed Kakashi’s orders. Thankfully, dinner at the mess hall was less eventful than lunch. Jin and Taku were happy to have Naruto and Sasuke’s company which seemed to keep everything but the occasional insult at bay. The newest duo asked why the other two were covered in dirt and small injuries in which they just replied that they had enjoyed a friendly spar in the woods. They finished their trays of food quickly and then bid Taku and Jin goodbye as they left for their cell.

The two dirty Forsaken showered for the evening and then went back to reading. Sasuke was actually more interested in Naruto’s reading material then his own and sat next to him on the bed as they tried to find the chapter Kakashi had mentioned, Reaper Seals. It was a short chapter, there seemed to be only two such techniques. 

“Naruto, isn’t that what yours looks like?” Sasuke said pointing at the last one pictured.

“Um, I am not really sure. I haven’t seen it for a while.”

_“Well, activate it, idiot. It comes to the surface every time you tap into my power,”_ The Fox stated simply.

“Why do you both call me an idiot?” Naruto mumbled as he handed to book to Sasuke, stood and lifted his shirt.

“Because, that is what you are most of the time,” Sasuke responded.

Naruto listened and looked around to be sure no one was coming. He then called up just enough energy so certain adults nearby wouldn’t be able to sense it. The seal slowly revealed itself and Sasuke eyes turned scarlet as he studied it. 

“The swirl is the same but the symbols on the outside are just a bit different,” he concluded. “Wait, it does say the symbols change according to the key used.”

“A key?” Naruto wondered as he pulled down his shirt. He had become too engrossed in thought to remember the demon power churning in him. “Does it talk about the type of keys?”

“Well, all it says is the key changes according to the life sacrificed. Anyone who knows the technique can tighten the seal but only those with the key can loosen it.”

“Does Pervy Sage have the key? I mean, he has only ever tried to tighten it. He did activate it though which means he knew what kind of seal it was,” Naruto pointed out. “And The Fox told me he trained my father.”

Suddenly the red-eyed blond panicked. He heard footsteps and they didn’t sound like Yamato’s or Kakashi’s. They belonged to the one person he didn’t want to see him in this state. He grabbed the book out of Sasuke’s hands and threw it under his bed and then tried to lock away as much of the demon’s power he could before the large, white-haired man came to the door. 

A few seconds later, Sasuke understood the reason for Naruto’s actions when he heard the man’s greeting from the top of the stairs.

“Naruto! I brought you something you might find interesting,” Jiraiya called as he approached the door. When he looked in, his eyes narrowed. Naruto looked like he had seen a ghost and Sasuke’s advanced sight was active. 

“What were you boys doing before I got here?” he asked as he walked in.

“I was practicing some simple illusions on Naruto,” Sasuke quickly lied. “The book I got from the library said the more my sight improves the longer I can make the illusions last.” 

Jiraiya was wondering what possible illusion could cause Naruto to look so worried but shrugged it off. He walked towards Naruto and handled him a tattered book. The leather binding was starting to rot, and the pages look burned on the edges. It had a lock, a seal The Sage had never been able to crack.

“What is this?” Naruto asked as he carefully took the worn pieces of leather and paper from The Sage. “It looks old.”

“Actually, it’s not as old as you would think. It’s a journal I found when they were cleaning up after the cleansing of the Uzumaki,” Jiraiya explained. “I can’t open it, but I think you can. It might hold some answers to things you don’t quite understand.”

“Why do you think I can open this?” 

“It’s a Uzumaki seal. I am not one, you are.”


	8. Bloodlines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***This may seem like a filler chapter but it has holds some important details.***

Kakashi had been a bit surprised when Naruto showed him what Jiraiya had given him a month ago. He had asked to keep it for a bit to look over it himself. It just seemed odd, after all the lectures The Sage gave the boy a journal from one of his own clan. There had to be something behind this move of his.

It was probably true he couldn’t open it, Kakashi hadn’t had any luck either. And, from research, it was also true that the seal was purely Uzumaki, but it was a very personal type of seal. A Blood Seal if Kakashi had identified it correctly. It was exactly what it sounded like, you needed the owner’s blood to open it. Even with Naruto having the bloodline of his clan, he would have to be an extremely close relation to even have a chance of reading the journal’s pages.

Kakashi had also been trying to find the right way to explain his Uchihan Eye to Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke, of course, was the one who was more interested in why a Sanctified combat instructor had one in the first place. Wasn’t he now considered Tainted having a demon eye as part of his own body? Sasuke wanted to know who’s it was and if he had killed the man to get it. Kakashi had quickly clarified he had not killed an Uchiha to receive it but knew the man who it had once belonged.

Currently, he was watching Naruto and Sasuke demonstrate grappling tactics to the rest of the first-years. Having those two already trained in the basics had proven to be a great godsend. The kids seemed to pay better attention to boys their own age displaying correct holds and defensive maneuvers. The only problem was the few that tried to egg on the two, heckling them from the back of the crowd.

“Hey, demon lover, why don’t you show us want you guys do at night behind closed doors,” Sasuke heard from the back as he put Naruto in a head lock like Kakashi had instructed.

Naruto easily broke out of it by tucking his chin, pushing on Sasuke’s thigh with one hand, and using his other arm to push the Uchiha’s head back. The blond pulled his own head from his friend’s arms while grabbing his right arm and transitioning Sasuke into an armbar. Kakashi clapped telling Naruto to release the hold and then looked to the back where the comment had come from.

“Do you want to take on Sasuke, then?” Kakashi asked the kid in the back. “Come on up, let’s see if you have been paying attention.”

The kid’s eyes went wide, and then he put on a determined, almost hostile facial expression. Jin pushed him from behind to get him up and moving. Taku raised his hand.

“Sir Kakashi, while Sasuke is busy testing him, can Naruto show me how to do that last thing, please?”

“Actually, why don’t we see who fairs better, shall we? Come on up, Taku,” Kakashi responded.

Taku got up quickly and made his way to the front. Kakashi set up some ground rules. Only simple grappling moves, standing or ground, no hits or kicks, no extra abilities, and tap out before you are injured. 

As soon as Kakashi gave the signal to start Sasuke caught his opponent in a spinning armbar and had him tapping out in seconds. Taku faired a bit better, he used his small size to dodge, but tapped out as soon as Naruto got him into a guillotine choke hold. Kakashi nodded his head in approval and watched as Sasuke’s opponent seemed even more confrontational than before. 

“He wouldn’t win if there weren’t all those rules. I am stronger than him, he just has that thing to back him up,” he shouted, pointing at Naruto.

“You are mistaken. Those rules were made to protect you, not him. And Naruto, is not a thing. They are team, they are supposed to back each other up. Wasn’t that in one of the first lessons I taught this class?” Kakashi assured him. “These two have proven themselves in more ways than I doubt you ever will and will be headed to The Tournaments in six months.”

“The Tournaments? But can’t they die?” Taku asked concerned for his only friends, other than Jin, in this place.

“They can, but they won’t. I know their abilities and have faith they will come out on top. The Tournaments also determine the demand for your services. I know some of you are still new to the idea, but you are just product to be bought and sold now. Everything you do and learn determines what kind of life you will have once you leave this place. You have to prove yourselves worthy of a good price or you will end up in a shithole.”

Sasuke shifted from one foot to the other. He hated being talked about like something sold on a shelf. He had known it was his fate since he first witnessed a Harvesting, but it was still a hard pill to swallow. Naruto had told him the same but had grown up as a slave with nothing else to compare life to. This is all he knew, but the blond still hated it.

Kakashi continued the class after his mini lecture with Naruto explaining the technique he used to get out of Sasuke’s headlock to Taku in front of the class. Taku caught on quickly and had it down after a few tries. He then had the students try it on each other, using the opportunity to hand Naruto back the journal and sending Sasuke and the blond ahead to weapons training.

Weapons training was something Sasuke excelled at while Naruto was just finding his rhythm. The Uchiha already knew he was good at the bow but had also learned he handled the Katana quite well. Naruto was more of a heavier hitter. Daggers worked well because he was made for close combat, but they had yet to find any long-range weapon that suited him.

Kakashi had been determined to find something but knew whips were off limits as those just made the Uzumaki hostile. He had even decided against any chained weapon just in case it would cause the same reaction. They would find something soon enough, hopefully sooner rather than later, for him to be proficient in for The Tournaments. Daggers were well and good, but the boy needed something with a little more reach.

Naruto was in luck today as the class covered close combat weapons and techniques. He tried to pair off with Sasuke for training, but the instructor wanted to see how each student did against someone other than their assigned teammate. Naruto glared at the kid before him. It was the second in command when it come to the mob against Jin and Taku, the wild kid himself. 

Naruto sized him up with their first few clashes and then had him pinned with a dagger inches from his throat. He smirked to himself as the kid yelled profanities in his direction before he released him and pushed him away. The next several skirmishes ended in the same fashion, with Naruto’s dagger pointed at a vital spot. Then Naruto watched as the boy smiled and came at him like a rabid dog.

Sasuke was almost dancing with his opponent, playing with him to try to keep himself entertained. He had already had the boy in compromised positions a dozen times and made him drop his weapon a few others. In between, he’d watch Naruto with that stupid kid who he got to choke out not so long ago. 

Naruto had the upper hand every time the boy moved but it seemed like the kid was waiting for something. Sasuke watched as the boy came at his friend again but this time with total abandon. There was no technique, rhyme, or reason to his movements and Naruto dodged a few times before grabbing the kid’s wrist about to force him to drop the dagger. Sasuke noticed a little too late how his other sleeve seemed to carry some weight.

Once Naruto heard the yelp and the weapon fall to the ground he smiled. He didn’t notice the second one the crazed idiot had up his sleeve when he let go of him. The blond saw the flash in the boy’s other hand and then felt him plunge another dagger straight into his side before he knew what was happening. He jumped back and put his hand against the wound, the handle of the blade sticking out between his fingers. He winced as he landed and clenched his teeth against the pain.

“FUCK! What the hell, asshole!?” Naruto roared as he dropped to one knee. “This isn’t that kind of training or you would have been dead already!”

Sasuke had quickly disarmed the kid he was sparring with and was behind Naruto as soon as he heard him yelling. He saw the knife sticking out of his friend’s side and blood soaked his hoodie and hand. The instructor was already on his mic reporting the incident. The insane boy had picked up his other dagger from the ground ready to attack again when Sasuke went to make a move.

“Don’t, I got this,” he heard Naruto say. 

The demon jailer cocked his head to one side and waited. The boy laughed when he realized Sasuke was going to listen and charged at Naruto. The blond hit his hand against the ground and a geyser of water sent the boy up into the air. On his way down, Naruto then hit him with a wall of wind with a flick of his wrist. He landed behind the class, caught in a tree and looked terrified. 

Sasuke nodded his approval and noticed Yamato running in their direction. The Overseer silenced the panicking class and told the teacher to finish their training on another training field. He also mentioned to leave the delinquent in the tree. He quickly used his wood ability to cause the tree’s branches to hold the kid in place. 

He turned to Naruto and grabbed the tear in his hoodie and ripped it down to the bottom hem, he did the same with the shirt Naruto wore underneath. 

“What the hell happened? This is a serrated blade. How did he get ahold of this?” Yamato began as Sasuke wished to set the tree on fire.

“He pulled it out of his sleeve,” Sasuke answered. “I noticed it too late. I knew something seemed wrong.”

“That still doesn’t explain why he had it in the first place. This is going to be painful to remove unless we get a medic.”

“Is Granny Tsunade nearby? I see her around every now and then,” Naruto asked wincing with every movement. 

“Kakashi is trying to find her. Thankfully, this week is part of her monthly rotations here,” Yamato informed him as he turned to glare at the kid in the tree.

Yamato’s hand then went up to his ear and he nodded, “Kakashi and Tsunade are on their why from the infirmary. Sasuke stay by Naruto, I have to get that trash out of the tree,”

Sasuke chuckled as Yamato strutted over to the tree and crossed his arms before causing the tree to drop the kid to the ground with branches still wrapped around him like a straight jacket. Yamato grabbed a branch and dragged him over setting him in a muddy paddle left over from Naruto’s water attack. 

Naruto spit in the boy’s direction and started muttering insults, “You weakling, you piece of shit. Don’t ever come near me or anyone I know, or I will kill you. I will be healed by morning and then I will come after you like a bat out of hell! Taking cheap shots and thinking you’d get away with it. You are such a bitch!”

“NARUTO! You little brat!” the blond heard a familiar female voice yell.

“Sorry! I am just freakin’ pissed. I will try to control my language, ma’am,” Naruto apologized as Tsunade came to stand in front of him.

She kneeled down and pulled his hand away, inspecting the damage. Naruto placed his bloody hand on the ground and began digging his fingers into the dirt. He could have just pulled the thing out and had The Fox fix him up in a few minutes, but he knew if Pervy Sage was anywhere nearby he’d never have heard the end of it. It would be showing off again. 

“Ok, I am going to start removing the blade. Stay still,” the head medic announced. Naruto closed his eyes, readying himself.

He clenched his teeth hard and when his eyes shot open, he just glared at the reason for this mess. Having the blade shoved into his side was one thing, having it pulled out was something entirely different. Granny Tsunade may be using her abilities to lessen the damage but it still was far from pleasant. He let the breath out he didn’t know he was holding once the last of the metal left his side. 

“That is a guard’s blade,” Sasuke declared when Tsunade handed it to Yamato.

“Sure does seem that way,” Kakashi agreed. “I wonder where he got it from.”

Naruto felt the cool touch of healing energy as Tsunade patched up the wound. He needed to be able to move around easily, lunch hadn’t even been served yet. Sasuke approached the kid laying in the mud and stared at him with red eyes. He kneeled down to his level and smirked.

“Hey you, look at me. Where did you get that?” Sasuke questioned as red eyes met dirty brown. 

The boy froze as Sasuke filled his mind with illusions of being stabbed by the same dagger that Yamato now held repeatedly. The boy started whimpering.

“Just tell me, where did you get the blade. It will all stop as soon as you do.”

Yamato stood watching and then leaned towards Kakashi, “How long can he hold someone in it now?”

“A solid ten minutes. It should be enough to get him to confess, I think,” Kakashi commented watching the display.

“The guard! The guard that you stabbed through the hands! He told me to try to get rid of one of you. He said he would get me out of here if I did!” the boy began squealing. “He wanted me to make it look like a training accident or something.”

“Well, you did a horrible job at that last part,” Naruto growled as Granny Tsunade’s healing energy left him. He quietly asked The Fox to send just enough of his energy to the wound to help accelerate his healing, so he could kick some ass later. 

Sasuke broke the illusion and the wild kid’s eyes started looking around violently as he realized he was back in reality. The dark-haired boy sat on a dry spot and thought for a minute about the few times he saw that guard recently. He did always station himself near Hibachi and Akane’s little group. He probably told them the story of the night they arrived with a few edits of his own. 

“I need new clothes,” Naruto sighed as he stood up. “Even my pants have blood on them! This sucks, ya know!”

“I was planning on taking you guys out in town later today but maybe I should push it up because of certain circumstances,” Kakashi stated. 

Sasuke stood up and turned to face his instructor, “Like, an Empyrean town? Is that even permitted?” Sasuke asked.

“Sure, as long as you stay with me and don’t wander off. You will be considered my property while we are out, but I assure you, I won’t treat you any different,” Kakashi informed him. “Naruto, we’ll grab you some clean clothes, and you can wash up, when we go to the textile mill to grab a few other things you two will need.”

“Kakashi, bring them back early enough for them to be marked with their elemental abilities, please,” Yamato requested. “If they are going to be attacked like this, we might as well show the ones about to take them on what they are up against.”

“What about him?” Naruto almost spat as he scowled at the branch covered idiot.

“Oh, don’t worry about him, he will be receiving some lashings soon enough,” Yamato assured them and then waved them off.

When they arrived at the textile mill, not only did Naruto wash up and get his choice of clothing, but Kakashi handed each boy a pair of thin, black gloves. 

“You will need to wear these whenever you leave this compound. It is the law for any Mephistophelian,” Kakashi informed them. “Do not touch anything unless I allow it. Also, I will need to apply aura seals to the backs of your necks. They will be there to control you, also needed under Sanctified law.”

“Wait, what?!” Naruto exclaimed. “What is an aura seal? And what does it do? I haven’t gotten there yet!”

“It’s used to shut down any attempt to use your abilities. It is also used to cause you extreme pain if you were to disobey me or any master you would have. It doesn’t do anything to you unless I activate it.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like the sound of that. What if they ended up with a sadistic master who just enjoyed seeing them squirm. He wondered if there was a way to break it or at least nullify it. 

Naruto was uncomfortable with the idea as well and was already rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about it. It would be set right along his spine then, he had learned enough about spinal injuries in the basic medic class he had to take earlier that year. He shuddered at the thought.

Kakashi asked both boys to pull the collars of their shirts down and placed two finger tips against the backs of their necks. Naruto heard him say two ancient words he only knew from his research and his eyes grew wide. He felt the burn of the brand being put on his neck and then slowly turned to Kakashi.

“It’s a type of Life Bonding Seal, isn’t it? My life is now bound to yours?” Naruto asked as his gloved hand went to touch where he knew Kakashi’s clan mark now sat.

“Life Bonding Seal?” Sasuke repeated. “Why do you say that?”

“The two words he spoke mean, ‘life for a life’. If he were to die, we would too. It was made so you have no choice but to protect the person you’re sealed to.”

“You’re right,” Kakashi sadly acknowledged. “It’s the seal one has to use according to law. I will remove it as soon as we return. Just know, that once you leave here, one of those will be part of you permanently.”

“But can’t they be used against us? All anyone would have to do is kill the master and then every slave would die whether they had the choice to protect him or not!?” Sasuke objected. “How is that even fair?”

“Well, I heard the Uzumaki made every seal and know a way to break them too. Not that I am encouraging anything ...”

Naruto smiled, “I think I just added something to my ‘to do’ list.”

***

Kakashi signed out a van easily enough, this time with seats in the back. Naruto and Sasuke immediately became tense as they entered the van. Naruto had never been outside a camp or compound and the last time Sasuke was, he watched his clan get massacred. Kakashi instructed them to put on seatbelts and to be as unnoticeable as possible while they were out. 

They drove for forty-five minutes or so when Kakashi stopped the vehicle and came around the back. As the two Forsaken climbed out, the blond quickly pulled his hood over his ears and shoved his hands into his pockets. The dark-haired one just crossed his arms and looked around. 

The town had buildings that were clean and crisp looking. They weren’t block and mortar but metal and glass. The tops were sharp, like they were meant to pierce the sky even through the tallest was only four floors. The walkways were just as clean, the concrete was perfect, without a single crack. If there was anything green and alive it was pruned into spheres or cubes without a hint of decay.

Kakashi started on his way as his two shadows followed closely behind. Naruto was anxious, the street was full of shops and people. He’d never seen so many men, women, and children free to do whatever they wanted. Their clothes were so impractical. How could you ever do anything useful in them?

“What are you looking at, dweeb?” Sasuke asked quietly.

“What are all these people wearing? The girls look like the they are more clothing than flesh and the guys just, how do they fight in that stuff?” Naruto asked as a woman walked by covered in ruffles and bows. “They look like the dolls in our history books.”

“That’s what they are, well the women anyway. They are dressed like gifts to unwrap,” Sasuke commented shrugging.

“What!?” Naruto hissed. “They are people.”

“You remember some of the weirdest things. You remember the photos of dolls but not about the lack of males after all the wars? The women were deemed precious, since they were the ones that could produce more males.”

“What does that have to do with the whole, ‘dressed like gifts to unwrap’ thing?” the blond asked as he narrowly avoided running into someone.

“They don’t have to work or anything. They are purely for breeding now, so they are dressed to look like something rare. Ruffles, bows, stupid sparkly shit. Only the Sanctified seem to like this stuff, in my clan the women were as practical as the men.”

“Ok, well, that explains the women but the men, they look like, I don’t even know. Their shiny shoes and the collars on their shirts look like they are choking themselves. And what’s with the fancy sticks they are using to walk?” Naruto continued to wonder as one passed by a man twirling one around.

“They are just trying to show off their status. I mean, there are normally dressed people too, they are just harder to notice,” Sasuke commented as they walked by a shop keeper getting yelled at by a man for his oranges not being orange enough.

Kakashi stopped in front of a shop, “We’re here. Well, at one of the places. Stay quiet, and seriously, don’t touch anything.”

It was a weapons shop. Naruto and Sasuke had never seen so many shiny, sharp, deadly things. Sasuke asked if he could go look at the bows and Katanas which Kakashi agreed to, and Naruto joined him. Sasuke explained the different types and weights of arrows and which bow was better suited for what while Naruto half listened. He was looking at some of the other weapons hanging on the walls.

The Uzumaki was suddenly drawn to a weapon that looked like a small Scythe and a Kunai held together by a long chain. There was something similar, but a little fancier, beneath it that was decorated with engravings on each handle. He walked over quietly to look at them and wondered about how they were used when an image of a long, red-haired woman dragging people to their deaths flashed in his mind.

_“It was her weapon of choice, a type of Kusarigama.”_ The Fox informed him. _“Your mother was beyond deadly with that, I did help though. It was fun”_

“Kusarigama,” Naruto breathed out loud when he felt a hand grab the back of his hood. His eyes went wide and he started apologizing for whatever he did wrong.

“Naruto, chill. It’s just me,” Kakashi said quietly. “So, these interest you?”

“He told me my mom used one, and she was good with it.”

“She was a Queen of Death when she held one of those,” Kakashi whispered almost in reverence. “Your dad was amazing with daggers of all sizes which is a talent you’ve obviously already picked up. You want to try your hand at using one of these when we get back? I didn’t think you’d be interested with your hatred of whips and all.”

Naruto shrugged, “This looks like it actually takes some real skill, whips just remind me of weakling guards.”

Kakashi nodded, and then walked over to Sasuke asking him about the weapons he was looking at. Sasuke pointed out which Katana and bow he would prefer and the arrows that he would get the most use out of. That’s when Naruto noticed Kakashi writing stuff down. Is that why he came here?

The compound had plenty of weapons its occupants were permitted to train with, why would he need to order more? The Uzumaki thought about it a little longer and remembered how dull some of them were, while some were rusted and aged almost beyond repair. Of course, not the dagger that was plunged into his side earlier. 

Naruto grimaced at the thought and pulled his hand out of his pocket to rub his side when he felt someone grab his wrist, twisting his arm behind him pinning it there. He swallowed and tried his best to keep himself from retaliating. This was not the time or place. 

“Are you trying to steal something, you demon-blood?” a deep, angry voice asked.

“No, I promise. I was just looking at the Kusarigama while Sir Kakashi finished up here. I wasn’t doing anything, honest,” Naruto answered trying to sound as sincere as possible and looking in Sasuke and Kakashi’s direction.

“Why is your hood up then, you demon bastard?” the man demanded and grabbed the hood, pulling it down. “SHIT!”

He released Naruto and backed away. Naruto spun around with his gloved hands in front of him.

“What? What’s wrong?” Naruto asked willing to do anything to calm the man down. There were already a few people in the shop looking his direction and he felt like he was in a glass case on display.

“Kakashi! What the hell do you think you’re doing bringing that in here!” the man bellowed, glaring at the masked man and pointing at Naruto. “He’s fuckin’ possessed and you knew it. He’s one of yours, right? At least he claims that.”

“Calm down, he is not a threat to anyone. If he was, would I have even let him out in public,” Kakashi stated as he walked over to Naruto followed by Sasuke. “You don’t seem to be bothered by an Uchiha in your shop.”

“The Uchiha is already grating on my nerves and you know it,” the round man roared. “But that, how do you even know he’s not a threat. He could lose his mind any second now.”

“I’ve been around him for seven or eight years now. I have never seen him lose himself. Just stop overreacting. He hasn’t even done anything but look around. You’re the one that is causing a scene,” Kakashi pointed out as he ripped a piece of paper from a small notebook. 

“This is what I need in two weeks.”

Kakashi held out the paper, refusing to move. He dared the man silently to step closer to Naruto and Sasuke. The man huffed when he realized the game and came forward just enough for him to reach out and grab the paper with his fingertips. The man’s eyes went wide as he looked at the list.

“This is a huge order and you have a few specialty weapons listed. Does Yamato know about this? I may need more time.”

“If you need more time, I can always go to the other shop farther down the street. He might actually have better prices,” Kakashi countered as he lifted a hand in a half shrug and looked to the ceiling. 

“No, no, it’s fine. I will find a way to fulfill this order in the time given. These specialty weapons, do you have any particular requests or want them just like they are presented?” The man asked trying to keep Kakashi in the shop.

“These two will decide once they use them for a while,” Kakashi answered. “They may decide on a few changes afterwards.”

The man looked like he was about to destroy the display closest to him when he realized the most expensive items on the list were for the disgusting Forsakens in front of him. He huffed a few times and then just nodded his head in agreement.

“Oh, and know I will be testing all the weapons you give to me first. If any do not meet my approval I will not order from here again,” and with that Kakashi walked out followed by his two students.

Naruto had forgotten he still had his hood down until he heard a few gasps from nearby and rolled his eyes. He reached up to pull his hood over his head when Kakashi grabbed his hand and shook his head.

“There is no point. Someone will just ask for you to pull it down again. I am guessing that shopkeeper is ranting and raving about us to anyone who will listen,” Kakashi explained. “Are you two hungry? I know a restaurant that will happily serve us.”

“Yeah right,” Sasuke muttered but followed as his stomach growled.

They walked a little farther into town. Naruto had to dodge being spat on once and Sasuke had a few insults thrown his way while rolling his eyes. Kakashi led them into a huge BBQ place and the smells alone made both boys hope they didn’t get kicked out.

“Choza!” Kakashi called. “Hey, I have guests who would enjoy a meal and to hide out for a little while.”

A very large, very round man with a mane of deep red hair came around the corner. His eyes were mere slits in his jolly face, marked with purple lines along his cheeks, as he greeted the gray-haired man. 

“Kakashi! It’s been a while. Oh! And who are these two?” The man asked holding out his hand. 

Sasuke extended his own hand and shook the man’s, “Sasuke Uchiha, sir.”

“And you?” Choza said as he turned to the blond.

Naruto looked at the hand in front of him in confusion and then pulled his own hand from his pocket questioning if this was the right move. Was the man blind? 

“Um, Naruto Uzumaki,” he said carefully as he shook the man’s hand waiting for something bad to come of it.

“You sound uncertain of your own name,” the man teased. “I am guessing your visit here hasn’t been very pleasant so far?”

“We had to order weapons before coming here and the shopkeeper assumed Naruto had stolen some things,” Sasuke explained.

“The one run by the loud, old coot?” Choza asked Kakashi and he nodded confirming the info. 

“Ah, don’t let it worry you kid. He acts like he is so pure, but his parents were both nothing more than humans pissed on by angels.”

Naruto laughed at that and small chuckle escaped Sasuke’s lips. They both liked this guy so far, he seemed genuinely friendly. Kakashi was glad he could bring the boys to a place where they weren’t being continually glared at or insulted.

“Choza, can they meet Choji? I bet they would get along, plus I need to talk to you about something,” Kakashi requested as he pulled out his notebook again and began turning pages.

“That’s a great idea! CHOJI!” The man bellowed and a smaller version of himself, with red swirls tattooed on his cheeks and browner hair, came running out from the back.

“Yeah, Dad. What do you need?”

“Can you take these two to one of the tables in the back where they won’t be bothered? You can even hang out with them instead of working in the kitchen. Kakashi and I will come back there in a few minutes.”

“Sure!” He smiled and then turned to Sasuke and Naruto. “Come on, guys! Follow me! What’s your favorite type of barbeque?” 

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other as they followed the chubby boy to a back section of the restaurant. He directed them to a large, comfortable looking booth. They slid in and Naruto finally gave an answer.

“Actually, I’ve never had barbeque before,” Naruto replied scratching his cheek. “What is it?”

“Neither have I,” Sasuke affirmed.

“What!? How is that possible? It is the best thing in the world and there are so many different kinds,” he protested. “I’ll grab you some menus and you can ask as many questions as you want!” and with that he was gone.

“That kid is pretty funny,” Naruto said as he looked around. He was a bit confused. So, this place just sold food. Good smelling food from what he could tell. What was a menu?

“That kid didn’t even blink an eye when he saw us. What is he?” Sasuke wondered before he heard footsteps coming in their direction. 

Choji had returned with menus and a plate full of small pieces of meat. Naruto looked at the plate, then at Choji, and then at the small pamphlets he held while Sasuke did the same.

“Aren’t you going to try some samples? Each one is a different choice from the menu, except when you order you get a whole lot more,” Choji explained.

“What’s your favorite?” Naruto asked tempted to just eat every piece of meat on the plate.

“Oh, I like them all, I am not picky,” Choji eagerly answered. “Do you like beef or pork best?”

“We don’t really care,” Sasuke answered. “We’ve been eating whatever the compound put on our trays for so long we probably wouldn’t know the difference.”

“That’s so sad!” the chubby boy said in dismay.

Naruto finally reached out and grabbed a toothpick sticking out of one of the small pieces of meat. He brought it up to his face and smelled it. The Fox rumbled in approval in the back of his mind and the blonde chuckled.

“The Fox seems to have had barbeque before,” he said without thinking before he popped the piece of meat in his mouth. It tasted amazing, unlike the stuff he’d been eating his whole life.

“What’s The Fox?” Choji asked.

Naruto froze, his eyes wide, and then smiled nervously, “Um, well, I’m not really supposed to talk about it.”

“Sometimes you are so stupid, Naruto,” Sasuke scolded.

“Is it your demon?” the boy asked, and Naruto almost choked on the air he was breathing.

“Why would you ask that?” the blond played dumb after recovering.

Choji reached out, without worry, and flicked one of the bars in Naruto’s ears, “These. They mark you possessed but you don’t act that way. At least not like the ones I have seen chained and muzzled outside.”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows and nodded in approval, “Yeah, it’s his demon buddy. They talk at random. If you ever see him talking to himself, just know The Fox is involved.”

Choji smiled, “That’s cool, a fox? At least it’s not like a fluffy rabbit. You’d probably want to eat greens all day.”

Naruto smiled at that, “That would be bad, I hate vegetables, especially green ones.”

“He really does, whines like a baby whenever they’re served,” Sasuke commented as he picked up one of the toothpicks of meat and tried it. He hummed in approval and then Choji grabbed one and popped it in his mouth.

The trio continued to try samples and banter back and forth about food when the two men rounded the corner to join them. The boys made room and Choza looked at the empty sample plate and grinned. 

The three boys seemed to be enjoying themselves, too bad this was probably the only place they could do so.

“Have you guys decided what you want?” Choza inquired.

Choji chuckled. “The Fox and Naruto seem to like anything beef related. I don’t know about him, he doesn’t seem easy to impress,” he said motioning to Sasuke. 

“Well, Mister Uchiha, we will have to rectify that! Choji, tell your mom to fix us the buffet! My treat!” Choza announced.

Choji went running to the kitchen, almost tripping over his own feet. Kakashi turned to Naruto and lifted a brow.

“The Fox likes beef?” he questioned.

“Sorry, he rumbled when I was about to eat it and it made me laugh. I sort of mentioned why I was laughing,” Naruto winced at the explanation and readied himself for a lecture.

“Well, he is a fox. Makes sense he’d have a thing for meat, doesn’t it?” Choza said with open curiosity. “Wait, does he like rabbit?”

Naruto raised his eyebrows and then looked from Choza to Kakashi. Kakashi signaled him to answer the question.

“I don’t know,” Naruto answered honestly. “I have never had rabbit, I don’t think.”

“Can’t you ask him? I mean, he’s bonded to you right,” Choza continued.

Naruto shook his head in confusion, “I am sorry. Most people get freaked out when they see I am possessed while Choji flicked one of my bars like it was just a normal thing and you are talking about it like everyone has a pet demon or something.”

“Oh, well, our family, the Akimichi, along with the Nara and Yamanaka, are Empyrean but have always sort of sat on the line between Sanctified and Forsaken. Our abilities have always been seen as the dark side of the angel bloodlines so we not exactly the most respected on this side of the fence. We also are known to be demon lovers but we couldn’t care less. Why do you think Kakashi brought you here?” Choza asked.

“But doesn’t it look bad to other Empyreans that you let us eat here?” Sasuke asked. 

Choza shrugged, “I get plenty of business anyway. We are the only barbeque place around.”

“It’s true,” Kakashi affirmed, “I don’t think I have ever seen it empty during meal times. Speaking of which, it’s about to hit lunch hour, isn’t it?”

As if on cue, Choji and a plump woman walked out of the kitchen holding two large, round trays each covered in meat and side dishes. Sasuke and Naruto had never eaten so much food and it was all delicious. Choji and Choza ate enough for an army and all of them knew Kakashi ate but never noticed him pull down his mask or chew.

Everyone was enjoying the atmosphere until Kakashi announced they needed to go and get a few other things done. Choji begged them to come back as soon as they could and bid them farewell as he joined his mother back in the kitchen. Choza let them know they were welcome anytime even if it was just hide from the people outside. Naruto and Sasuke waved as they left the restaurant and then they both stopped dead in their tracks.

Kids, boys and girls alike, were chained together wearing muzzles with weights on their legs. They were thrashing around like wild bears caught in traps. All that came from their months were growls, hisses, snarls, and muffled screams. That is when Naruto noticed the bars in their ears and felt his breathing escalate. He looked at each and every one, all twelve, and they all had the same bars. Possessed, they were possessed!

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto and saw his panicked face. His eyes were darting around like an insect caught in a bottle. His breathing was becoming erratic. Naruto needed to get away from this to calm himself down. His friend tried to pull him away, but he was planted in his spot. 

“Naruto! Move!” Sasuke yelled in his face but Naruto stood there, eyes wide, feeling like his chest was about to collapse. 

What kind of hell had he come out to? A man slammed his elabrorate cane into the back of a girl that lunged against the chains at a woman that came too close. She was knocked to the ground. The man pulled the girl back up by the iron collar around her neck and she thrashed and screamed.

Kakashi’s face was suddenly in front on Naruto’s eyes. 

“Naruto, you need to breath normally. You need to settle down. They are not you. Breathe.”

Naruto closed his eyes and sent himself into the mindscape with The Fox. He felt his physical body collapse but didn’t care. He didn’t want to see anymore. When he opened his eyes The Fox’s large head was on the ground as close to the Naruto as possible.

Kakashi caught Naruto as he eyes rolled back until only the whites were visible and his knees gave out. He carried him back into the restaurant and laid him on the floor. Sasuke pulled up a chair to make sure he had a view of everything going on and watched as the large man appeared from the back. Choza had heard the chains a moment too late and met Kakashi as he checked Naruto’s pulse. Choji came running in not a moment later worried about his new friend.

“You aren’t going to do that to me are you? Are you!?” Naruto demanded of the demon inside of him.

_“No, I am not one of those things out there,”_ The Fox answered.

“How can I know for sure?” Naruto asked as he fell to a seated position before the massive, animalistic demon.

_“That happens because those demons have no physical form. When they possess them, take their body over, they are actually slowly poisoning them, hoping to make that vessel the body that would want for themselves. They literally drive their systems mad with all the change they try to implement.”_

“So, you have a physical form, there is no reason to do that?”

_“I do change your form, but I know how far I can go before you can’t handle anymore. I stated a long time ago that if the seal was loosened, or even destroyed, more might be available to you. Our energies seem to harmonize well.”_

Naruto remembered and nodded, “Ok, so you’ll never push me to that?”

_“No. You have no need to worry. You have to go. Your instructor and friends are fretting over you.”_

Naruto closed his eyes and let himself fall back into his physical body. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Choji jump back in surprise and blinked them a few times. He sat up and noticed Kakashi looking out the restaurant entrance while Sasuke sat on a chair nearby. He ran his tongue along his teeth and felt that they were just a touch sharper than usual.

“The idiot’s awake,” Sasuke declared. “You bastard, talk about being dramatic.”

“Hey, stop. He was only out for a minute, maybe two,” Choji said in Naruto’s defense. “I didn’t react well the first time I saw that sort of thing either.”

“Sorry, it hit a little too close to home,” Naruto apologized, one hand reflexively moving to feel the bar in his ear. “Are my eyes still red, Choji?”

“No. Just when you first opened them. They were a bit scary,” he answered honestly as he walked back over.

“I have been told that,” Naruto shrugged.

Kakashi backed away from the entrance and then looked to the blond, “Do you think you can handle it if we pass that again? We need to go farther into town.”

“Yes,” Naruto expressed followed by a couple deep breaths. “We can go.”

“What was that, what happened to you?” Sasuke questioned as he stood from the chair.

“Imagine if you got to see the you of your worst nightmares,” Naruto explained rubbing his temples. “That is what happened.”

Naruto stood and pulled his hood over his head more to shield himself than from others seeing him. He apologized again to the Akimichis and left with Sasuke and Kakashi. The chain gang of possessed were thankfully headed in the opposite direction but just the sound of them was unnerving.

The three of them made their way to a tactical clothing store that was flanked by a store full of frilly women’s clothing. Kakashi made his way to the back with Naruto and Sasuke following close behind. Their instructor was again writing in the notepad he had brought while Naruto and Sasuke looked around keeping close to him. Naruto noticed hooks holding different waist packs and pulled off his own attached to his pants. 

It held the journal Kakashi had returned and a few bandages inside. As he studied it and then the ones on display he noticed some had multiple compartments or were said to be waterproof or flame resistant. They were much fancier than the one he returned to the back of his pants. Sasuke came to stand beside him and seemed to be noticing the same thing.

“Don’t you think tactical clothing is so boring?” they both heard a very feminine voice ask.

They both continued looking at the products on the wall figuring the girl was talking to someone else in the store. They heard the tip tap of her shoes coming towards them but just moved to where Kakashi was standing to get out of her way.

“Hey, you two, I was talking to you,” the voice stated. “You with the black hair and you with the hood, turn around.”

Sasuke turned around with an unamused look on his face whereas Naruto kept his eyes to the floor as he turned in her direction. 

“What’s up with your friend? It’s impolite to not look a girl in the eyes,” the long-haired, pale blond girl scolded Sasuke.

“He’s had a rough day. What do you want?” Sasuke scoffed.

“Rude much? I just thought I would try to make some conversation with someone while my father looked at this boring stuff, but I guess it was pointless,” she snapped as she flipped her pony tail over her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Naruto mumbled as he looked up at her face.

“At least you know how to apologize,” she commented as she stomped off.

Kakashi chuckled behind them and the boys turned. 

“Jiraiya would be disappointed in your lady skills, Naruto,” he said amused.

“Hey, that’s not fair! I have no idea how to act around girls. I mean, the only female people I know are medics or that weird chick that enjoys putting people through pain,” the blonde said in his own defense.

“Don’t forget the meal guy’s daughter at the labor camp,” Sasuke pointed out.

“We left there when we were seven!”

“Don’t worry, Ino can be forgiving,” Kakashi shrugged as he pulled a few things off the shelves and then went to the display Naruto and Sasuke had been observing.

“You know her?” Sasuke asked looking back in her direction.

“Sure, she’s a Yamanaka. You know, one of the families that hangs out with Choji.”

“Oh,” was all that left Naruto’s mouth while he listened to her shoes tip tap around the store. She must be bored pacing around in endless circles.

Kakashi grabbed a few more things and then they made their way up to the clerk. Kakashi asked the two Forsaken to carry the bags as they left so they would fit their part. Naruto saw the girl again and mumbled another apology, she gave a slight nod in approval.

“Why are you still apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong,” Sasuke commented as they started walking back from where they came.

“Just because.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. His friend needed to stop worrying about what others thought. He had to admit he had improved since leaving the labor camp but he still doubted himself at times. Sasuke didn’t really have that problem, Kakashi said his was arrogant which was true. He was told for the first seven years of his life that the Uchiha were among the best, quite the opposite or the blonde’s upbringing. 

Kakashi turned down a side street they hadn’t been down on their way from the van. Naruto and Sasuke looked around with interest. The sunlight didn’t reach this small alley way and the sounds of bustling shops was left behind. Soft scents started floating on the breeze the farther they walked.

When they came out the other end it was bright and colorful. Flowers surrounded multiple fountains where people lounged around on benches and in green grass. There were even families having picnics and others playing games with frisbees or balls. The boys noticed a few stopped what they were doing to watch them.

Kakashi led them along the paths that twisted through the colorful areas into a decorative building at the other end. It was covered in arch ways and sculptures. Naruto smiled as he observed sculptures that showed angels and demons. One of them even looked foxlike but was much softer looking than The Fox. It did have nine tails but the angel stabbing it looked like he was just a mild inconvenience. 

_“What stupidity. I may have looked like that when I was a kit, but not now. And to depict one simple angel taking me down, it’s absurd,”_ The Fox seethed as Naruto took it in.

“The Fox look like that?” Sasuke asked when we noticed the sculpture Naruto was studying.

Naruto covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing as The Fox snarled.

“No,” he whispered through his fingers. “He’s snarling. He is massive and scary, nothing like that. And he thinks it’s absurd that one angel could take him down.”

“This does make him look pretty fluffy, doesn’t it?” Sasuke smirked. 

Naruto laughed harder behind his hand as The Fox started snarling threats inside his mind at his friend.

Kakashi bent down between the two youths eyeing their current interest, “I am guessing The Fox hates that. The older imagines depicting him are a bit fiercer.”

Naruto just nodded with a smile on his face. He had learned that The Fox was furious with and hated the Empyreans believing he was less than. The only reason they had almost contained him was their use of powerful Mephistophelians to weaken him, or they would wait until he was just released from a vessel. Angel blood was dessert to him, not a threat. 

Kakashi steered the two boys in the direction he needed them to go. It was a large, ornate, marble desk with a serious looking man sitting behind it. He wore small glasses and his black hair was combed to one side on top of his head. A look of disgust came over his face as they approached. 

“Hello, I am here to register these two in The Tournaments coming up this Spring. I am one of their overseers and believe they would be a welcomed attraction,” Kakashi opened the conversation.

“Do you, now?” the man replied. “Why, give me one good reason.”

“One is an Uchiha and the other an Uzumaki and they work as a pair,” Kakashi answered as he removed a rolled file from a cargo pocket of his pants and slid it across the desk.

The man’s eyes focused on the to boys behind the single-eyed, gray-haired man. One looked the part of an Uchiha but the other was hiding under a hood. His eyes narrowed as he opened the file and then turned his eyes to it. They both arrived at their current compound at seven and started training early. Their listed abilities were impressive for their age and then his hand slammed on the desk.

“You! The Uzumaki, take off your hood NOW,” the man commanded waiting to see if what this file listed was true.

Naruto just stared at the man as he lifted a hand from his pocket a pulled the hood down. The man’s eyes narrowed again, and he looked back down to the file.

“He’s been possessed for how long?” he demanded of Kakashi.

“From what we understand, since birth. He is bonded to his demon in a way that others can’t because of it,” Kakashi said it a bored tone. “If you continue through that file you will see a letter of recommendation from Yamato himself. He has put both through a number of tests that prove their sanity.”

Sasuke watched as the man continued to question Kakashi over a number of things. He wondered if this man had any sort of power. He would have just looked but he doubted activating his sight would be tolerated. He stood there glaring. He knew that Kakashi had their best interests in mind, but all this seemed so ridiculous, having to show what they could do as a form of entertainment.

He glanced over at Naruto who was looking at the ceiling and turned his gaze upward. Above them, painted along the ceiling were morals. He knew exactly what the blond was focused on. There, a darker, more intense depiction of a nine-tailed fox was located. It was destroying a city with swings of its tails and using the left-over buildings as foot holds as he roared at tiny beings running in the streets. He watched as Naruto smiled. He guessed The Fox was much happier with this depiction.

“Naruto,” Kakashi called bringing the blonde’s eyes back down to the ground.

“Yes, Sir Kakashi.”

“I need you to sign this paper stating that you understand there is a chance of injury, dismemberment, and/or death during The Tournaments,” he explained as Naruto approached the desk.

“Why do I have to sign, don’t I have to do what you tell me to?” Naruto questioned.

“Yes, but you two are somewhat young for these so they require it.”

Naruto signed with a slight smirk on his face. Looks like he wouldn’t have to hold back for this set of events. Sasuke had to do the same and appeared to have the same thought. The man then went over the procedures and requirements on the day of the events and what was expected of them. Naruto and Sasuke nodded their understanding and Kakashi was handed to certificates of entry. 

“Listen to me, if that thing goes feral before the event they are both disqualified. Even if a crazed possessed would make a good show it is not worth the fear he’d bring to the crowd,” the man warned.

Kakashi chuckled and waved the man’s warning away, “Of course, whatever you say.”

With their last errand done for the day, they headed to the van with Kakashi’s bags in tow. Thankfully the walk back was only filled with a few insults and an orange thrown at Naruto that he gladly caught, thanked the man for, and started to peel. He offered Sasuke a piece as they reached the van. It may have been a little bruised, but it still tasted good.

Most of the ride back the boys slept and when they awoke, Yamato was there to greet them. Sasuke briefed him on their trip into town while Naruto affirmed the details. Kakashi removed the seals from the back of the Forsakens’ necks and then left them to return to teaching one last class before the evening meal. Naruto and Sasuke were about to follow when Yamato reminded them they were to receive new marks this evening. 

They entered a building they had only seen once before and were again met by the eccentric, snake woman. Sasuke and Naruto waited along the wall as Yamato told her what they required. The Uzumaki remembered the day he received his bars and how that had really set off Hibachi and Akane. He wondered if these new markings would do the same. The Uchiha rubbed his neck recalling the burning feeling from his last mark.

Naruto had removed his gloves and hoodie and sat in a chair with his palms up and wrists exposed as instructed. The woman was shaving the area and whistling as she worked. She happened to nick his wrist and cursed as it started bleeding. He shrugged and sent the slightest bit of demon energy to heal it quickly. She grabbed an alcohol wipe, cleaned off the blood, and she smirked.

“You’re a tricky little bastard, aren’t you? That demon and you all buddy buddy,” She quipped, and Naruto just smiled at the comment.

“So, little demon boy, which hand is which? One is wind and one is water, right?”

“Yup, right is wind and left is water,” he answered.

“Which hand is dominant?” she asked.

“I am right handed if that what’s you mean.”

“So, you are a wind imp, are you? That’s pretty rare. But you are an Uzumaki which usually means you’d be water dominant. So, what kind of demon is enjoying your body, huh?” she speculated as she gave Naruto an evil grin and stuck out her tongue before readying her tattoo gun with black ink. “Let’s start, shall we?”

It was a weird, prickling, almost burning sensation along the inside of Naruto’s wrist when she started but he easily grew accustomed to it. The symbol, or small rune, for wind took shape on his wrist. The design was one that followed the movement of the element. He wondered what color would shade the inside or if it would just remain a solid black outline.

“He is a fox.” Naruto finally answered to break up the humming of the machine puncturing his skin.

“Your demon? A fox, huh? So, he is a clever one. Enjoys the game of the hunt, I bet. When you enter The Tournaments, I am sure he will find it very amusing,” she replied as she moved to start the color.

Sasuke watched the exchange and noticed the glint in the woman’s eye. She seemed to find his friend a bit fascinating which was a change of pace from the rest of the day. There was no indication of fear or worry on her. He was not looking forward to dealing with her himself. Her questions were always odd, and she seemed to enjoy her type of work too much.

Naruto’s tattoos ended up being yellow with touches of orange on the wind and the water design was blue and green. She cleaned off her work, wrapped his wrists and told him thanks and come again with a menacing sounding chuckle. Sasuke cringed as she wiped down the chair readying it for his lightning and fire marks.

She started conversation right away but Sasuke didn’t entertain it by giving short, to the point answers. She was fascinated that he was lightning dominant instead of fire unlike most Uchihas. She commented that they must make one hell of a pair breaking the rules by just existing as they were. He just nodded his head at that statement and when she finished on his wrists she asked Yamato if the mark on his neck needed updating. 

Sasuke walked away with wrapped wrists and his neck stinging. Naruto, on the other hand, was already healing so his wrists itched. Yamato told them to grab dinner and then head back to their room once they were outside the building. Both donned their hoodies and walked to the chow hall. 

After having barbeque in town, the food on their plates was anything but appetizing. Naruto and Sasuke took their normal spots sitting across from Jin and Taku and began answering their questions about where they were for most of the day. Taku also informed them during the exchange of the wild kid’s current state and Naruto just smiled. He had received fifteen lashings and was banned from any combat classes for two weeks.

“They’ll make him take ballroom instead,” Naruto chuckled. “How I hated that class.”

“You made the worst dancing partner,” Sasuke commented. “Couldn’t they at least let girls onto the compound for that?”

“Ballroom?” Jin asked. “Why would we need to know about that kind of stuff.”

“If you are lucky enough to be a body guard or personal liaison to some rich Empyrean, you’ll probably have to guard him or her during formal events. You need to have the knowledge for those events. We were even told to take classes on how to braid women’s hair just so we can be as helpful as possible. The more skills you have, the more in demand you will be,” Sasuke paraphrased Kakashi’s explanation when he asked the same question not so long ago.

“It was so boring,” Naruto responded letting his head fall, his forehead hitting the table. “The music was slow and the dancing was dull. The hair braiding thing wasn’t as bad.”

“That’s because we just used yarn and learned it in our room for something extra to do,” Sasuke elaborated. “Sir Kakashi mentioned it would be a good idea so we did it.”

“So, you guys were taking classes the whole five years you were here before us?” Jin questioned.

“Yup,” Naruto answered. “We took all the boring classes along with the basic combat classes with some extra training missed in.”

“Kakashi pulled us from another camp to bring us here. He said we seemed ‘promising’ for this compound. They had to give us something to do for those five years, it was better than burning bodies and getting whipped every day,” Sasuke added.

“You only experienced two days of it, you have no idea,” Naruto mumbled, his head still lying on the table.

“When did they Harvest you then, Naruto. I mean, Sasuke was seven, and you?” Taku inquired.

“At birth,” Naruto spat. “Ok, maybe not right at birth, like a few hours later.”

Jin and Taku sat there in shock while Sasuke finished his food. The Uchiha nudged Naruto and the blond lifted his head and grabbed his tray. The former possessed watched the two others leave. Jin turned to Taku with wide eyes.

“This is all he has known, really?”

***

Kakashi stood near the back gate waiting to meet Yamato. Today had been interesting. He knew Naruto may have some unusual responses to the outside world, but he never realized what seeing a fully infected possessed would do to the blond, let alone twelve at once. It hit him like a freight train.

Sasuke handled it well but he noticed the kid’s own hang ups. Unlike Naruto, who took his spot in the hierarchy in stride, the Uchiha tried to fight it every step of the way with small things. He would glare, or speak rudely, Kakashi even noticed when he seemed to want to activate his sight. He would need to teach him that being obedient on the surface gave more leeway for rebellion in secret.

Yamato arrived quietly and leaned against the wall. He watched Kakashi look over the little notebook in his hands. It was then handed to Yamato and he began to read the notes that had been written down. He nodded at a few and reread others. Kakashi waited patiently for his friend to finish.

“Naruto didn’t retaliate at all?” Yamato commented.

“Well, not unless you count eating an orange that was thrown at him, but he did thank the man for it,” Kakashi answered. “I am more worried about Sasuke. I understand his hatred for the system, but he needs to learn to hide it better.”

“He is much more like you than he knows,” Yamato taunted. “How many did you kill before you realized it wasn’t helping anything?”


	9. Punishment Unearned

Two weeks passed by quickly, and Naruto still couldn’t get the journal to open. He had tried his own blood and he’d hear it click a few times but nothing else happened. He was beyond frustrated. He was clinging to the hope that a seal could rust like a lock and maybe it just needed a few more times before it gave way. 

Sasuke, on the other hand, had been trying to learn more about Kakashi and his borrowed eye. He would ask Yamato on occasion and the overseer would just tell him it was Kakashi’s story to tell. The Uchiha had never seen Kakashi use it so he wondered why he would even want it. Was it a souvenir from the most recent war, a trophy he earned?

Kakashi watched as Naruto continued to learn the Kusarigama against Sasuke’s Katana. These were the best the compound could offer but still were worn and needing replaced. The blonde seemed to be getting the hang of it quickly, Kakashi guessed The Fox may be helping if he held Kushina’s memories. If that was the case, Naruto had a perfect training manual in his mind.

The masked man was glad he had ordered two Kusarigama for the blond with different chain lengths and Sasuke a bow with various arrows and a Katana. The Tournaments were hard to predict, so having options was always a good idea. He had also ordered the holsters, daggers, quiver, and sheaths needed. The boys wouldn’t be permitted to store their weapons in their room but Kakashi would gladly take care of them.

Their spar was going well with the heavy coats they were wearing, winter had come early. The snow and ice seemed to add a new element to their fighting styles. Sasuke would use the lack of friction to his advantage while Naruto used the snow to block Sasuke’s vision by sending it up into clouds of white. When the boys’ spar ended in a draw, Kakashi told them to hand over their weapons and get ready to leave for the town they had been to before. Kakashi needed to pick up the weapons shipment and he needed help.

Sasuke internally moaned. While he liked some change from the norm, he didn’t feel like going into town and dealing with those entitled bastards. The last time had worn on his small amount of tolerance for them. The glares, the snide comments, and the outright rudeness was hard to not throw back into their faces.

He felt Naruto elbow him as they walked back to their room to change into some clean clothes. 

“You look pissed. Not looking forward to going to town?” the blond asked as he scooped up some snow, forming it into a ball.

“Are you? Do you not remember how they treated us when we were there?” Sasuke responded as he watched Naruto launch the snow ball in high enough arch to hit a guard on the shoulder on its way down. 

“Yup, but I also remember barbeque, Choji, and seeing new things. Plus, I have been treated so much worse. It wasn’t that bad,” he answered as he rolled his eyes at the guard yelling insults. “I mean, he just called me a demon prick whiling flipping me off.”

“You threw a snow ball at him.”

“And it was fun,” the blonde grinned. “You should try this fun thing out. Maybe things wouldn’t bother you so much.”

“What about the parade of possessed and how much that messed you up?” Sasuke retorted as they started up the stairs. 

Naruto threw up his hands and let his head fall back, “I was trying to forget that! That was just me worrying about something that The Fox would never let happen.”

“The Fox, huh?” Jiraiya scoffed at the top of the stairs. “What have I told you about trusting that thing?”

Naruto’s excitement immediately deflated as he continued up the stairs past The Sage. He knew it was coming, some crazy lecture about The Fox. He had been giving them regularly since the Jin and Taku incident. He hadn’t even openly used the demon’s powers in over a month and he would still hear about it.

“How often do you talk to him, kid?” Jiraiya asked as Sasuke walked by following Naruto towards their cell. 

He turned in their direction and entered the cell only a few seconds later. He watched the two boys change into clean shirts and hoodies before putting their coats back on. He stood in front of the door.

“Naruto, I am waiting for an answer.”

“He is jailed inside me, Pervy Sage. How can I not talk to him?” Naruto answered as he grabbed a black beanie hat from the cabinet and shoved it on his head covering his ears. “Anyway, we are going into town to help Kakashi pick up a weapons order. We are supposed to meet him at the gate.”

“We do need to go,” Sasuke confirmed dressed and ready. “Kakashi still has to apply the aura seals and sign out the van.”

“Naruto, if you dare use that thing while you are in town they will annihilate you like a deadly parasite. Do you understand me?” Jiraiya warned. “I did not agree with you going out in town, that is the worst place for you to be. Too many angel-blooded witnesses that are just waiting to take out someone like you.”

Naruto rushed past him and, as he neared the stairs, turned around and started walking backwards, “Yeah I know, like what they did to Mom.” 

Naruto watched the man freeze and his eyes go wide. He sighed, turned, and went quickly down the stairs.

Sasuke sauntered past the staggered Sage, “Yeah, he knows. The Fox showed him, but then again, he’s not supposed to trust him, right?” Sasuke turned to face the old man, “He is not as clueless as you might think, Jiraiya.”

“What? I don’t understand,” he sputtered back.

“Maybe, next time, you should ask him a question that holds some real weight,” Sasuke smirked as he turned back and made his way down the stairs.

Jiraiya stood there for another ten or fifteen minutes still in shock. Did he know, did Naruto know everything? Could the demon show him that? If the demon lived inside of her and was there, then it was a possibility. But why? That thing caused the death of Kushina and Minato. Or maybe The Sage didn’t know as much as that blond-haired, knuckleheaded, demon-cursed kid did. He couldn’t have been wrong this whole time, could he?

By the time Sasuke felt the cold chill of the outdoors, Naruto was already at the tree that they used to observe the gate. He looked a bit nervous, he was probably worried about what he had just said. The Uchiha enjoyed the shock and awe he had brought to that Sage’s face. It was about time his friend threw a punch to that man’s understanding.

“That was pretty ballsy,” he began, “coming from an idiot like you.” 

“I hope it doesn’t come back to bite me on the ass,” the blond commented back as he rubbed the back of his neck. “We better catch up to Kakashi before Pervy Sage gets me first.”

“I have a feeling he’ll be stuck in that one spot for a little bit. He was pretty shocked,” Sasuke said with grin as they began walking.

“I am glad you find it so fuckin’ amusing. I may come back to the longest lecture of my life and be eaten by a toad.”

“I’d paid to see that last part.”

“SHUT UP, and what would you even pay with? Your Uchiha name?” Naruto taunted.

“I don’t know, but seeing you get eaten by a bigger mouth than your own would definitely be entertaining,” he countered.

Naruto just kept pace with him and glared, “I am gonna let The Fox eat you some day. Just watch him gobble you up.”

“I’d give him heartburn.”

“I hate you.”

Sasuke chuckled, “I win again.”

“WHAT!? That does not mean you won! And what did you win anyway?” the frustrated blonde began. “You think you’re so cool and awesome when I could smash you into the ground.”

“Your abilities are water or wind. You could blow me away, or possibly drown me, but not smash me into the ground,” Sasuke jested.

“I could too! Just beat you into the ground with my bare fists!”

“Right, and I can fly,” Sasuke replied quickly and watched Naruto stumble for his next response.

“I-!”

“Let me guess, you hate me?” Sasuke interrupted. 

“NO! I, um, I, just, SCREW YOU!” Naruto finally answered.

“Now, now, Sasuke. Why do you have to rile him up so much?” Kakashi commented as they approached.

“It is way too easy, and it was mainly to get his mind off what just happened.”

Naruto was about to try to make a witty remark and then grabbed his own face, “I am going to be eaten by a toad. I know I am.”

“And it only lasted that long,” Sasuke sighed.

“Why would a toad eat you, Naruto?” Kakashi asked.

“Because I said something I probably shouldn’t have to shut up Pervy Sage,” Naruto moaned. “I was an idiot.”

“You are always an idiot,” Sasuke corrected. “The Sage mentioned if The Fox was seen out in public that Naruto would be destroyed, and Naruto returned by letting him know he knew that had already happened to his mother.”

“Oh, did you now?” Kakashi said in surprise to Naruto. “It is about time you let him know you aren’t as naïve as he thinks.”

“So, you aren’t mad at me?” Naruto questioned as he put his hands in his pockets and kicked some snow. “I mean, I thought you kind of wanted me to keep The Fox stuff to a minimum around him.”

“He doesn’t so why should you. Don’t worry about it. Anyway, let’s get those seals on you so we can head out,” Kakashi answered.

***

They arrived at the weapons shop without incident, not even an insult thrown their way. Maybe it was because Naruto looked like everyone else, most were wearing hats. It could have also been the weather, it made the crowd out today smaller than usual. It all ended as soon as Naruto followed behind Kakashi into the shop.

“Get him out of here!” the man yelled as soon as he noticed the blonde.

Naruto backed up until he was just outside the doorway. Kakashi gave him an apologetic look and then turned to glare at the shopkeeper. Sasuke stood next to his instructor with the same look on his face.

“I need him to help carry this order back to our van. He has a special talent that will make it much easier,” Kakashi explained.

“The boxes are behind the shop. He can use the alley way where the dumpsters are and meet us back there,” the man growled.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask and turned to Naruto, “Up and over, Naruto. Meet us behind the shop, would you?”

The man eyes opened wide, “What do you mean up and over?”

The man looked at the blond outside the shop and watched as he turned his eyes to the roof, crouched down, and leaped easily on top. The shopkeeper ran out to look at the boy now climbing over the peak of his shop and ran back in to hear him land outside the back door. 

“He has a thing for climbing along roof tops,” Kakashi commented before getting back to business. “Anyway, I will walk out the back with Sasuke to check our order. Join me?”

The man grumbled as he followed them out the back door. The blond demon stood there, smiling, waiting for whatever he was meant to do. He hated the thing for even existing. Demon spawn like him should be chained up and muzzled with the rest of his kind. The Uchiha went over, smirked, and asked the abomination how the view was from up there.

Kakashi went through each box carefully, checking the quality and quantity of each weapon ordered. He had made it through four boxes and they had all been the items for the compound itself. The last two had to be the weapons he ordered for Sasuke and Naruto. 

“Naruto, I need three more people,” Kakashi stated.

Naruto grinned and cracked his knuckles, “Easy peezy, three more coming up!”

The shopkeeper stepped back as three more blonde demons came into existence. The three turned to the original and then to each other waiting for their task. Kakashi asked them to each pick up a box he had already checked. They walked over and easily handled crate after crate of metal weapons. If the copies, or whatever these were, had that much strength, how much stronger was the original?

“Sasuke, this is yours. Come, check it over,” Kakashi instructed as he pulled off the top of the crate.

The old man was barely listening to the Uchiha and gray-haired man’s conversation as they looked over the equipment, he was so focused on the blue-eyed thing. He was too happy, too friendly looking. It had to be an act. His kind were sadistic, evil, killing machines. He should be attacking anything that moved but instead he was conversing with the copies of himself and laughing as they joked with each other.

Sasuke truly grinned for once at the sight before him. He was happily impressed with his weapons. They were well made and felt good to hold. He couldn’t wait to try out the bow. It had been too long since he had gotten to use something of this quality. The arrows were all straight and the Katana looked like it would cut through a pig like butter. He was very satisfied.

“Real Naruto, come over here. This one must be yours,” Kakashi called and pulled open the last case.

Naruto’s eyes sparkled with delight at the daggers and Kusarigama. He picked up a few of the different sized blades, spinning them in his hands and checking their weight. Too bad he was wearing gloves, he would have loved to feel the smooth. shiny metal of the blades. One or two of the throwing daggers seemed slightly off, he looked behind him at a tall tree and threw them. They landed wrong, bouncing off the tree and falling to the ground.

Sasuke scowled at the offensive weapons, walked over and picked them up. Naruto may have not been the best in the beginning, but he had become an expert with these things. Their balance was off enough that if had been used in The Tournaments things could have gone badly. Sasuke handed them to Kakashi.

“Anything else?” Kakashi asked Naruto. 

He checked the Kusarigama. The shorter of the two seemed fine. The chain was strong and flexible, the small scythe was sharp and smooth along with the kunai at the other end. The longer one was a different story. The chain was weak and looked to be from an older weapon and the scythe was dull. Naruto had to admit the kunai on the other end, may be older, but was of good quality.

Naruto handed the damaged Kusarigama to Kakashi, “I think this is an old weapon, it doesn’t look new to me.”

“Did you not hear me when we were here before? I said if anything in the shipment did not meet my ideals, I wouldn’t buy from you again,” Kakashi stressed to the shopkeeper. “How did everything else come out fine, but when we got to this box three things were below your best quality. Is the compound’s money not good enough for you?”

The old man internally growled but put on the most innocent expression he had, “There must have been an error when packing that one. I promise I can get the weapons you need quickly.”

“How quickly?”

“By late afternoon!” the shopkeeper answered almost immediately.

“Fine, I will give you half the payment now and load up the weapons we approve of. We will come back around two o’clock. If you don’t have the rest, you don’t get the rest of the money, but I keep everything I already have,” Kakashi reasoned.

“But that is more than half the shipment!” the man wailed.

Kakashi shrugged, “Not my problem, that’s on you.”

The man huffed and marched back into his shop as the real Naruto relieved one of his copies of a box and dismissed him it a poof of smoke. Sasuke picked up the crate full of his own weapons and they all headed back to the van using the backroad for shipments. Once they reached their destination, they loaded everything and Kakashi looked more annoyed than ever.

“Well, Naruto, that guy doesn’t seem to like you at all. I was trying to make this trip quick and simple.”

“No worries, let’s get barbeque while we wait. Choji did want us to see us again,” Naruto said anticipating a good meal.

“I’m in,” Sasuke agreed.

“Might as well, it will burn away some time,” Kakashi sighed and began leading the way.

The walk was again uneventful until they passed by the weapons shop. The angry, old man was standing outside, talking to a younger gentleman in an elaborate suit. They both stopped talking as the three walked by and then the old man starting yelling.

“He’s the disgusting thing, him right there! Blue eyes, blond hair, scars on his cheeks, and the man with him thinks he should be have weapons! He’s a fuckin’ demon, he needs shackles that’s what he needs!”

Sasuke wanted to make a snide remark back but knew it would do more harm than good in this situation. Naruto kept looking straight ahead, at Kakashi’s back. The Uchiha couldn’t understand how he didn’t even twitch in their direction. The younger man smirked at the blond and then reached behind his back, Sasuke’s eyes opened wide.

“Sir Kakashi, we have a problem!” he yelled as the man cracked his whip with a wide smile spreading across his face.

Naruto’s eyes widened at the sound, he knew if he turned around unlawful things were going to happen. He stopped, his back to them and looked at the ground. In his peripheral, he saw Kakashi walk by him to face the man.

“If you don’t put that thing away, you will be dealing with more than you bargained for. You have no right to have that out anyway, neither one of them have broken any laws,” Kakashi warned.

“This lovely man here tells me that blond threw some knives while on his property. That is breaking the law, a Forsaken using weapons within Sanctified borders. Plus, the shopkeeper saw it as a threat,” the man said in delight. “According to law, he is supposed to get at least fifteen lashings.”

“I was there, I allowed it because he was testing the weapons I ordered for the compound forty-five minutes from here. He did not threaten anyone’s life, even the tree faced no injury because the weapons were duds. Since he was under by supervision testing weapons as I allowed, he did not break that law,” Kakashi answered back.

“Do you admit that he is possessed?” the man asked swinging his whip lazily from side to side.

Kakashi narrowed his eye and looked at Sasuke, “You and Naruto get to Choji’s, I will deal with this for now. Let Choza know what’s going on.”

Kakashi then turned back to the man and walked up to him until his nose was a mere inch from his. Sasuke watched as Kakashi stared at the man in front of him and then glared at the shopkeeper.

“He is possessed, been so since birth and the Uchiha with me has his advanced sight already. If they wanted to harm anyone here, they have the ability, but, as is required by law, they have aura seals on their necks. We are not breaking any laws. You are though, you cannot harm another’s property without their owner’s permission. I refuse to give you that permission,” Kakashi threatened. “Sasuke, why are you and Naruto still here?”

“Right, sorry, Sir Kakashi,” Sasuke apologized and grabbed Naruto’s arm leading him to the restaurant. His eyes were closed, and his hands were in his pockets and Sasuke knew why.

As soon as they passed the threshold of the establishment, Naruto opened his red eyes and let out a shaky breath. He then swallowed and ran his tongue along his teeth. He wanted to taste that man’s blood, he wanted to scare him shitless. The Fox shared his thoughts and added a few other activities he wouldn’t mind being a part of. 

“Choji!” Sasuke called. “You here?”

The boy’s head popped out of the kitchen and he smiled until he saw the state Naruto was in. He disappeared back into the kitchen and then dragged his father out with him. Choza quickly ushered the Forsaken boys into the back of the restaurant. 

“What’s going on?” the large man asked.

“He threatened me with a whip,” Naruto’s echoing, demonic voice growled, “saying I broke a law for testing out weapons against a tree with Kakashi present.”

“What Naruto said. It was a man in a gaudy suit. He wants to give Naruto fifteen lashes for threatening the weapons store shopkeeper,” Sasuke clarified. “Kakashi ordered us to come in here and wait for him.”

“Choji, stay with them back here. I am going to back up Kakashi. Naruto, do you need anything to calm down?” Choza asked.

Naruto thought about answering the question honestly, then thought better of it and shook his head. Asking to rip something apart was probably just going to make him seem more insane than he already looked. Choza left out the front entrance in a rush and his bellowing voice was easily heard as he yelled at the men.

Naruto felt hot, like he was on fire, and started ripping off the winter coat and hat. He cursed when he saw his gloves. His claws had ripped holes through both sets he had on from the cold.

“You have freakin’ claws!?” Choji exclaimed.

“Have you even noticed his teeth, Choji? That’s why he can’t be out there right now. He kind of reacts this way whatever he is threatened with a whip,” Sasuke answered as he sat in the booth.

“His teeth?” the chubby boy asked.

“Just get me some raw meat and I’ll show you what they can do if your curious,” Naruto stated as he tapped a claw repeatedly against the table top.

“Raw meat?”

“Don’t ask, seriously,” Sasuke warned and then turned to Naruto. “I am guessing The Fox is as mad as you are?”

Naruto just lifted his lip and snarled in response. The Fox hated most Empyreans with a pitch-black passion and this situation just fed it. Naruto closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down again, but it wasn’t happening. He knew he’d never hurt anyone here, but if that man were to walk in right now he’d want to kill him. Naruto’s wild eyes darted over to Choji, who was still standing there watching him.

“Um, were you serious about that raw meat thing?” he questioned. “I mean, we have plenty.”

“Yeah, why not,” Naruto answered in the most human voice he could manage.

Sasuke watched as Choji walked away not letting his eyes leave the blond until they absolutely had to. Once he was in the kitchen, Sasuke started studying Naruto. This wasn’t something he was just going to will away. The Fox was furious, Naruto was fuming, and he didn’t have any way to get out his frustration. It wasn’t like they could spar in here.

“What are you planning to do?” Sasuke asked quietly. 

“I don’t know,” Naruto mumbled as one hand grabbed his hair. “I can’t see that guy again today or very bad things will happen.”

Naruto finally sat down in the booth and heard Choji exit the kitchen. A plate slid in front of him with a bloody pork chop and the blond closed his eyes at the scent. After the whole blood tasting incident when he first got to the compound, he had wondered if raw meat would taste good to him in this form. 

It was a strange thought, but he tested it when the food supplies had come in one week. He had swiped a flat carton of chicken legs and was amazed at how good they smelled let alone tasted. Sasuke had found it absolutely disgusting when he caught him but then realized it had its advantages. Naruto had received a good beating for stealing from one of the guards but it wasn’t much compared to Mizuki. 

“Do you want a fork, knife, or something?” Choji asked.

Sasuke just shook his head, “Just wait, it’s sort of gross the first time you see it.”

Naruto picked the pork chop up by the bone and just started tearing it apart with his teeth. Choji eyes went wide, it looked like his fangs were ripping through tissue paper. He winced when he heard the bare bone crack in two between the possessed boy’s molars and watched as he sucked out whatever was in there. The finishing touch was him picking up the plate and tipping it to drink the blood.

“You know, I think I like pork better than beef.”

“You know, it’s still pretty disgusting, even after seeing it before,” Sasuke shuddered. “I may not be hungry anymore.”

“Aw, don’t say that. That did calm me down a bit, not much, but a bit.” Naruto responded.

Choji just stared at the plate and then at Naruto and then back to plate. He knew the thing inside him was a fox but the only thing he knew about possessed was what everyone else knew, chains, muzzles, and insanity. Naruto was fully aware of everything he did and here he was, looking feral and not attacking anything, well, other than the pork chop. 

“Is that what you’re going to want when all of us eat because I don’t know if I can handle watching you do that while I am eating barbeque,” Choji finally stated. 

“I can eat normal food like this too, it just doesn’t taste the same,” Naruto informed him. 

Kakashi approached from behind and replied, “Normal food? Naruto, you didn’t do that here, did you?”

Naruto shrugged with a sheepish smile on his face, as close as he could get to one with The Fox’s influence, “Sasuke is the one that suggested it and Choji then wanted to know. It was only one pork chop, I promise.”

Kakashi sighed, “Well, please refrain from doing that when people with weak stomachs are around.”

Naruto gave his instructor a thumb’s up. Kakashi was glad Naruto seemed to have cooled down, but his appearance didn’t match his current attitude. He was guessing it would take a while for The Fox’s influence to leave him. Good thing they had a few hours to kill. Kakashi still expected those weapons to be ready.

After the boys had left, he had taken the whip from the object of Naruto’s hatred easily enough. He had also demanded the shopkeeper still hold up his end of the bargain and, with some angry encouragement from Choza, he agreed. Kakashi didn’t have time to order them again. Naruto needed months of practice with the kusarigama to ready himself for The Tournaments, plus he needed to learn the advantages of combining Sasuke’s weapons with his own. Kakashi wanted these two to blow their competition out of the water, he had plans.

Kakashi was pulled from his thoughts as Choza pat his shoulder and announced, “Here’s your food! Not the buffet this time but I think I remembered your favorites.”

“I couldn’t afford the buffet,” Kakashi commented. “I still can’t believe you gave it to us for free the last time we were here.”

“That compound never feeds growing boys right. They need to learn what real food is,” Choza smiled as he placed a plate in front of each boy sitting around the table. “Eat up! I’ll go back and grab your food, Kakashi.”

Kakashi thanked his friend and then sat down next to Naruto. He relaxed while the boys ate. Naruto had mentioned Sasuke’s eyes could turn as red as his and Choji was amazed, he wanted to see. The Uchiha activated his sight to amuse their friend and Choji asked what he could do with it.

Choza returned with the masked man’s food and his own. He enjoyed the conversation but kept his eyes on the Uzumaki and the Uchiha. The Uchiha’s eyes were red as he explained to Choji what his sight could do. The Uzumaki was as friendly as ever even with his frightening appearance.

“You may need to have gloves designed that can handle your claws,” Choza stated suddenly as the blond went to run his hand through his hair.

He bought his hand down to observe the torn fingertips, “Yeah, I am guessing I will need another set before I can leave here unless I keep my hands in my pockets the whole time.”

“I brought some extras,” Kakashi noted as he held out another pair. “Always be prepared for anything. Of course, you’ll need to sheath those things before you can use them.”

Naruto flexed his fingers and looked at Kakashi, “I should probably talk to The Fox about that. And, I mean, a deep conversation so I may be out of it for a few minutes.”

“Go for it.”

Naruto settled into the booth until his head rested on the back and let himself fall into the mindscape. He knew The Fox was grumbling, he had been hearing his growls, snarls, and curses since the event. Now, he was also rhythmically tipping his claws against the bars.

_“I wanted to rip that angel-blooded prick to shreds,”_ came snarling though long canines.

“So did I, if you didn’t notice. We can’t though, Pervy Sage is right that they would destroy me if they knew,” Naruto confessed.

_“We need to get that journal open.”_

“What does that have to do with anything?” Naruto demanded.

_“There is just something about it. I can’t remember everything from the past lives I have been connected to, but that journal is important. Probably, more important than even that stupid Sage knows.”_

“Well, I tried my own blood, since it is a type of blood seal, but it didn’t work. It just clicked a few times.”

_“Well, that is more promising than nothing happening. We’ll have to keep trying it, maybe do something different.”_

“I only have one type of blood, ya know. It’s not like each hand holds a different kind,” Naruto argued with an annoyed look on his face.

_“That’s not one hundred percent true,”_ The Fox corrected with a sly smile on his face.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Naruto questioned exasperated.

_“You have your blood, and then you have your blood laced with my energy,”_ the demonic force behind the bars explained.

Naruto looked at his clawed hand, “You mean, when I am like this?”

_“Yes.”_

Naruto thought about it and then shook his head to clear mind, “Stop, that’s not why I came here. I need you to calm down enough for me to look normal, so I can get out of this town without drawing attention to myself.”

_“They draw attention to you with their insults. They are disgusting.”_

“You think I don’t know that, but this look isn’t going to help either.”

_“Maybe they’d actually avoid you if you embraced your demonic appearance,”_ The Fox said with his held tilting to one side. _“It does suit you.”_

“It may suit me but will not be helpful right now. There are too many here for me to scare away,” Naruto argued.

_“Fine. But don’t underestimate their fear.”_

He opened his eyes to the ceiling of the restaurant and stretched. It almost felt like he took a short nap. Naruto ran his tongue along his teeth and looked at his hands. He looked and felt normal again.

“Did I miss anything?” the blonde asked as he grabbed the glass of water in front of him.

“Just Choji staring at you like you were about to explode,” Sasuke commented.

“His eyes went white and he was just out. I thought something crazy happened,” the concerned Sanctified boy explained.

“You have to get used to weird things happening when you are around the idiot,” Sasuke replied.

“Here are the gloves, Naruto,” Kakashi began. “Choza and I decided, before we got back here, that you two will take the backroads to the van,” he continued as he pointed to Sasuke and the blonde. “He and I will pick up the remaining weapons.”

Both boys nodded in understanding as Naruto replaced his damaged gloves with the new ones. Kakashi continued to explain that he wanted them to stay as hidden as possible after what happened in plain daylight between Naruto, the shopkeeper, and the sadistic Empyrean man. He knew that man wouldn’t be satisfied until he had blood on a whip.

Sasuke and Naruto departed out the back door of the restaurant as Kakashi and Choza left out the front. They made their way down the backroad until they came upon a few trucks dropping off shipments for the stores along their way. Naruto looked up and leaped unto the roof, staying as low as possible, using it as an alternative path. Sasuke followed not far behind.

They continued to use the sharp rooves until Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto’s jacket to stop his next move. The upcoming store had men on the roof installing a new sign. When they went to move back down to the shipping route, some of the workers were there handling other equipment.

“Shit,” Sasuke whispered. “What are we supposed to do?”

“I can make a few more of me as a distraction,” Naruto began to suggest until he heard a snap. 

He low crawled to the edge of the roof facing the main street and watched as the large sign dangled from only three cables. Another snapped, and his eyes went from the sign to the people below. Most had moved away from the danger but there were a few children playing in the area that were unaware of the hazard.

“Naruto, what are you doing?” Sasuke scolded. 

“The sign! There are little kids down there!” Naruto answered hoping the last two cables would hold as the workers yelled orders at each other, trying to lower the sign before it would come loose.

For a second, everything looked sound until the mechanism lowering the sign malfunctioned and one cable went slack faster than the other. The sign went swinging towards two children.

“Naruto, we can’t! We aren’t supposed to be noticed!” Sasuke insisted.

“They’re kids!” Naruto yelled as he jumped from the roof and dived for one child about to get hit and heard Sasuke get the other. 

Gasps and shouts began to fill the air, not from the incident that just transpired, but because of the hatless blond. The sign had come just close enough to pull the beanie from his head. He let go of the little girl he was holding against his chest and she went running to the other side of the street. The sound of Sasuke cursing and feel of an electrical charge in the air alerted Naruto.

When he looked to his dark-haired friend, there stood the man from earlier, his cane electrified. He shocked Sasuke once more before smiling at the blonde before him. Naruto watched as the man kicked Sasuke in the head, knocking him out, and then he started walking in his direction.

Naruto couldn’t run, he wasn’t going to leave Sasuke like that. He pushed himself up onto his knees and then felt chains get thrown around his wrists. Two more men, from the construction crew, hooked the chains quickly and then backed up, pulling the chains tight, spreading his arms wide. He couldn’t move without hurting someone and that evil man knew it. 

“Did you like my little show? It was easy to get these men to agree to capture a possessed. I had been waiting, sensing you sneaking around like a mouse. Your energy feels disgusting,” the man jeered as he walked closer.

“But the kids, you were willing to put them in harm’s way?” Naruto questioned as he jerked against the chains, trying to produce a peaceful way out of this.

“Well, they were from the more impure breed, it wouldn’t have mattered much. Plus, I knew you’d need a good reason to show yourself.”

“Are you insane?! What if one of them died, what did they do to deserve that?”

“Nothing but exist. Your kind and anything not pure should be removed. It’s just polluting the gene pool.”

The man was right in front of Naruto now. His sizzling cane inches from his neck. He prodded the demon jailer on the left side sending a shockwave through him that caused him to bite his tongue. Naruto let out a shaky breath as his head hung limply knowing another was coming. There was no way this thing in front of him was going to let him off as lightly as Sasuke. The next shock came from the right side of his neck and it was stronger than the last. Naruto tried to scream but his throat wasn’t cooperating. 

His breathing was ragged, he could feel The Fox pacing in the back of his mind wanting to send demonic power into every pore of his being. The blond had been chanting for him to just stay hidden, stay quiet. Naruto begged for mercy from somewhere, anywhere. He had an idea of what was coming next and he was trying his best to keep himself calm, keep himself from losing his mind.

The man grabbed his hair with a gloved hand and pulled his head back.

“Look at all these wonderful people who came to watch the show,” he mocked. “Get this jacket off him,” he commanded someone.

“My pleasure,” came the familiar voice of the shopkeeper. 

The blond heard a knife slicing through his jacket and the man pulled it off piece by shredded piece. He was surprised the man was being careful until he heard the next words out of his mouth.

“Don’t want to get his filthy blood on a good weapon,” he mumbled.

The other man, the well-dressed bastard, still had his hand in Naruto's hair forcing him to watch as people laughed and mocked him. He was keeping tears at bay that were starting to string his eyes. He had hoped he had left this all behind at the labor camp, but he was wrong. This was worse, so much worse. He felt his breathing speed up as the last of his jacket was ripped off.

“Now, you are owed at least fifteen lashings, you possessed piece of shit,” the entitled Sanctified began as he let go of his hair and walked behind him. “Why don’t we make it an even twenty for getting away the first time? And look, I got a new whip just for you.”

Naruto heard him test his whip with a quick crack and clenched his eyes shit. This couldn’t be happening. Where were Kakashi and Choza if the shopkeeper was here? Didn’t they see the crowd? Maybe this was happening too far from that shop. 

The first lash slashed through the two shirts he was wearing and his back with a deafening sound. Naruto felt his fangs and had his hands in tight fists feeling his own claws cut through his palms. His head hung low, his shaggy blonde hair masking his face. It was taking every bit of his self-control not to destroy everything here. The second one crossed the first and sent ricocheting pain through his body as his own hot blood began spilling down his back.

“Naruto!” Sasuke’s voice rang through his ears but he couldn’t look up, it would give him away. 

He heard Sasuke get silenced by the crowd. Maybe he’d run and find Kakashi and Choza. Maybe he could find a way to stop this. 

Naruto felt the third and fourth crisscross his lower back and his body flinched, trying to pull against the chains that were digging into his wrists. He tried to focus on the cold snow soaking his pant legs and the hot tears now running freely down his face. He had ignore the dark energy running rampant through his body.

Six, seven, eight, in close succession. He was gasping for breath now. He could feel the freezing air against his bloody back and hear the two men laughing behind him, along with half the crowd. The next two slashed across each shoulder and arm, his claws cutting further into his palms at the action. His body was screaming against the abuse. He had felt this all before, but the cold air was making everything feel that much more intense.

He heard Choji yell his name and demand the man to stop, he hadn’t done anything wrong. The man answered that with the next four lashes blasting into him as quickly as the beat of a bee’s wings. Fourteen, he had six to go. Naruto didn’t know if he could handle another six like this. His mouth was open behind his hair, grabbing any oxygen that came his way as saliva dripped from sharp canines. The next two made him scream in agony and the demonic echo that escaped his mouth was easily heard. He clamped his mouth shut as the crowd hushed at the sound.

“What the hell was that!?” he heard the shopkeeper yelp.

“Let’s find out,” the man whipping him answered, delighted to finally get a real reaction.

Naruto knew he couldn’t handle four more, not without anyone noticing what he had become. Blood was dripping from his fists, he had cut his lips open with his teeth when he had stopped his screaming. He pleaded for anything to save him, anything. He felt his physical body go limp as soon as the whip made contact and his consciousness fall into the den of The Fox. 

Even here he felt the pain of the last four lashes against his lifeless, physical body and screamed openly as The Fox watched. He focused on what was happening outside and felt the chains go slack and his beaten body fall to the snow, red with his blood. He laid there for a minute, just trying to come to grips with what had happened and then pushed his mindscape body up from the floor.

Sasuke, Kakashi, and Choza arrived as the whip hit him a final time. Naruto’s body was a just a ragdoll in the man’s hands now. Kakashi ran over as he fell into the stained snow. Choza yelled at the crowd to leave, there was nothing else to see. Sasuke just looked at Choji across the emptying street. The boy looked terrified and outraged at the same time. 

“He screamed, he screamed and it sounded like the gates of Hell opening. Not too long after that he just gave up or something,” the chubby boy relayed as he approached him. “Is he going to be ok?”

“He’ll recover quickly,” Kakashi informed him unhooking the chains from the blonde’s wrists. “He always has. You both need to tell me everything.”

“He got what he deserved,” a sly voice replied. “I must admit, I was hoping to beat the demon out of him,” the haughty man smirked.

“If you had, you’d be dead. Get out of here before I find a way to kill you myself,” Kakashi warned glaring at the man until he backed away.

Even within his own mind, Naruto’s limbs were shaking. Even if this body wasn’t bleeding, he knew he was covered in blood outside. He yelled, cursed, and swore doom to all of them. The Fox echoed his sentiments in snarls and curses of his own. When he was finished with his ranting, he looked back at the creature stuck in a cage.

“As soon as I can, I will find a way to get you out of there. They aren’t going to cage me, and I am not going to cage you,” Naruto promised. “You need to draw your energy away from me until I am in the van.”

_“You're bleeding profusely, let me heal you a little.”_

“No, let them think I am done. The next time I am back here, they will know they accomplished nothing.”

The Fox smirked and cocked his head to one side, _“I understand, and I approve. As soon as you are in the van though.”_

Naruto only nodded, let himself fall back into his physical body, and choked on a gasp as he heard Kakashi over him.

“NARUTO!” he heard the man yell and he opened his eyes to look up at him.

“I’m, I’m here,” Naruto barely managed. “I’m sorry. They tricked me. I thought I was-“

“Stop, Sasuke and Choji explained everything,” Kakashi interrupted.

“Where were you?” The blonde croaked. “They chained me, and shocked me, and whipped me, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I had to just take it. Where were you?” The last statement was barely audible, coming out as a dry sob.

“The shopkeeper left his daughter in charge and she gave us the box of new weapons, so we were almost to the van when Sasuke reached us. I am sorry, Naruto. I will never allow this happen again.”

Naruto swallowed against the pain and pushed himself unsteadily out of the snow. Every muscle shook, his body rebelling against him with every movement, but he was determined to get up. Everyone seemed scared to touch him, the back of his body covered in open wounds, his hands and lips bleeding. He made it up into a standing position but then every muscle gave out. Kakashi caught him on his back and hoisted the blonde’s arms over his shoulders and hooked his own arms under his trembling legs.

Sasuke was looking at Naruto with a mix of rage and remorse. He was angry, angry this could happen at all. Maybe if he could have used his advanced sight, he could have stopped this. Maybe he should have tried harder to get to Naruto instead of finding Kakashi. He had gotten shocked twice, and knocked out, but he wasn’t in as bad a shape as Naruto, not by a long shot.

“Don’t look at me like that, bastard. I can heal from this in no time, just you wait,” Naruto said with small smile as Kakashi started walking.

When they made it to the van, Kakashi laid Naruto face down on the bench seat in the back. Sasuke had to sit in the front passenger seat, the boxes took up the rest of the back, including the one Choza was currently loading into the van. Kakashi climbed in, looking to Naruto when he felt the demonic energy surge with a relieved sigh from the boy. Naruto looked at him with red eyes.

“We aren’t going to let this slide, are we?” Sasuke questioned, his eyes scarlet as he looked over Naruto.

“Of course not, I have plans. They may not be immediate, but they will be fulfilling,” Kakashi declared with an edge in his voice. “I will never be too late again.”

***

Naruto was lightly snoring when they turned down the road that led to the gate. Kakashi motioned for Sasuke to open the glove box and reached over to grab a hand-held radio. He turned it on, waited a few seconds, and then asked for Yamato. Yamato asked about the weapons shipment, Kakashi mentioning they had a few problems, but everything was accounted for. He followed by asking a question that confused the Overseer inside the compound.

“Is Jiraiya there?”

“Yes, he said he needed to have a long talk with Naruto.”

“Shit,” Kakashi cursed. “Send him off on an errand or something, we have another situation I need to discuss with you.”

There were a few moments of staticky silence and then Yamato answered, “He should be distracted for a bit, I let him know Tsunade had stopped by the infirmary.”

Kakashi sighed, handed the radio to Sasuke, and drove the rest of the way to the gate in silence. The guard seemed to have a problem seeing a Forsaken trainee in the front seat but Kakashi just mentioned there was a shipment of weapons in the back. He drove the van to the armory as expected and parked next to where Yamato stood with three trainees.

Before Sasuke could get out of the vehicle, Kakashi placed his hand on the back of his neck removing the aura seal. He turned and reached back to do the same to the sleeping Naruto. The blonde flinched at the touch and his scarlet eyes shot open. He watched Kakashi pull his hand away and then took a deep breath before moving into a seated position.

Yamato pulled open the driver’s side door and nodded at Kakashi in greeting before looking at Sasuke. He could tell from the Uchiha’s activated sight and his facial expression something had him riled up. He grabbed the keys from Kakashi’s hand and threw them to one of the boys with him. 

“Open the back and start unloading the shipment. Do not touch any of the weapons,” he ordered them while Kakashi exited the van.

“Sasuke, help them, would you?” Kakashi added as the passenger side door slammed shut. 

“Naruto then?” Yamato concluded since he had yet to hear from the blond.

“Just come around the other side.”

Yamato eyes narrowed when Kakashi fully opened the sliding door. Naruto sat on the bench seat, his head down with his hands resting on the back of his neck. His shirts were shredded to pieces. His back didn’t look much better, blood coated him from the nape of his neck past the waist of his pants. When Yamato’s eyes returned to his face, scarlet eyes stared at him.

“What the hell happened!?” Yamato exclaimed. “Who thought it was their job to whip the life out of him?”

“He was chained, shocked, and whipped actually. I will explain everything later. It’s a long story,” Kakashi promised.

“I won’t let him be seen like this, Jiraiya will find a way to blame him. I can’t even send him to evening chow.”

“Why do you think I asked you get rid of The Sage for a bit? He is going to jump to conclusions.”

“Can I get out now?” Naruto asked, interrupting their conversation. “I just want to shower and lay down. I don’t need dinner.”

“Naruto, that is ridiculous. If anything, you’re the one who needs something to eat more than anyone else,” Kakashi declared.

Sasuke observed the two overseers until he heard what the other boys were saying. They were making snide remarks about how his friend probably deserved what happened to him. That he probably went all crazy demon and met someone who could shove it in his face.

“What the hell did you just say?” Sasuke demanded. “He deserved what? Being humiliated and tortured in front of a crowd for nothing he did? You’re welcome to experience the same thing, you ignorant pricks.”

The three of them stood there trying to fabricate something to say but the Uchiha in front of them had electricity arching off his palm as he spoke. His eyes seemed to shift in front of them, their pattern swirling into something more complicated. He only stopped when their masked combat instructor placed his hand on the demon lover’s shoulder.

“I suggest you three not talk about something you know nothing about. When you are taken out of the compound your first time into town, you will be met by many a rude awakening,” he warned. “If you are done unloading, go to chow. We have no more need of you.”

They nodded in obedience before handing the keys over and running off. They had been outside the compound before being Harvested but that was within Mephistophelian territory. Their parents had told them stories of the Empyrean towns and cities, but they had never set foot in one. They were only allowed there if accompanied by an Empyrean or if they had a special visa and even then you could face execution.

Yamato watched as Naruto climbed out of the van, wincing slightly. He noticed fading marks on his neck from an electrical prod, and his wrists showed vanishing bruising from chains. He lips looked to have bled and his gloves were torn from his own claws even on his palms. The Uzumaki had fought against himself to keep from anyone noticing what he was, there was no doubt about it.

“Naruto, how many lashes?” Yamato asked when he stood in front of him.

“Twenty, fifteen for threatening a shopkeeper and five for getting away the first time,” Naruto quoted.

“What the hell, threatening a shopkeeper?”

“I tested some of the daggers against a tree because I knew they were off balance. The shopkeeper reported it as a threat. Kakashi was there,” Naruto said in monotone. “Can I please just go to my room?” he asked with a bit more inflection. 

“Naruto, you need to eat. I am guessing having The Fox healing you is helping you recover quickly, but you just went through hell,” Yamato reasoned.

“You said it yourself, I can’t go to the chow hall looking like this. If Pervy Sage sees me - I can’t handle him right now,” Naruto was almost begging. 

“I will bring their food to their cell,” Kakashi assured. “Sasuke, Naruto, go to your room. I will be there as soon as I grab your meals.”

Sasuke nodded and jumped up to the roof top of the building predicting Naruto not wanting to be too social. The blond followed, using his claws to help himself up the side. The boys disappeared quickly, even if Naruto was still in pain. 

Kakashi waited for a few minutes before describing the events of the day. Yamato learned about the whip happy man and the shopkeeper. He found himself enraged at how the man how lured Naruto in, and that it was in a busy section of town to bring in a crowd. Kakashi used Choji and Sasuke’s accounts, with the few words from Naruto, to fill in the parts he wasn’t present for.

“He kept himself under control though?” Yamato said, surprised.

“The only thing Choji mentioned was when he screamed, that is sounded otherworldly. Other than that, he kept everything else hidden to the best of his ability,” Kakashi reassured.

“We will discuss this more later, with Sasuke and Naruto. You better get going. I’d hate if Jiraiya got to them first,” Yamato mentioned as he thought through everything he was told. “The Tournaments should be interesting with some of their opponents being Sanctified.”

***

Naruto’s claws dug into the stone wall of their cell, his teeth clenched, as a copy of himself tore the shirts from his back and shoulders. He refused to let Sasuke do it, not wanting him to have anything to feel guilty about. He felt some of the wounds open as the clotted blood came off with the fabric. The Fox had been focusing on healing the deepest wounds first and then working his way to the less severe. Thankfully, it was mainly shallow ones bleeding again.

“It’s all off,” the copy reported. “Is there anything else you need me for?”

“No,” Naruto answered, the second him dissolving into smoke. 

“I can’t believe you had to let him do that when you did nothing wrong,” Sasuke growled. “He won, he freakin’ won because we aren’t allowed to do shit without facing execution.”

“We are slaves, Sasuke! I know you hate hearing that, I hate it to, but that is what we were born into to. Unless we become gods, I don’t see just the two of us changing much.” Naruto ranted. “I trust Kakashi, he knows what he is doing.”

“I am not saying I doubt him, but how much longer do we have to play this game? How much longer do we have to be doormats to things more demented than the demon living in you?” Sasuke explained. 

“I don’t know,” Naruto sighed. “I am cleaning myself off before Pervy Sage finds me.”

Naruto stepped into the small bathroom, stripped himself of the rest of his clothes, and walked into the small stall shower. The warm water turned a rusty, brownish-red as it ran down his back. His forehead rested against the wall and he closed his eyes going over everything, trying to figure out if there could have been a better way. Every way he could think of included his abilities whether they were water, wind, or demonic which he wasn’t allowed to use unless Kakashi ordered it. It would have ended the same way no matter what.

Sasuke sat on his bed thinking over what Naruto had said, they would have to become gods to change anything. He would learn everything, train harder than before, and become a god among men if that’s what it took. He would change this stupid world. He knew Naruto would naturally try to keep up, they were rivals as much as friends. They would drive each other to be the most powerful they could be.

Sasuke’s train of thought was interrupted by Kakashi opening the cell door. He carried two trays with him and Yamato appeared just a moment later. Sasuke still heard the shower going in the bathroom so he walked up to the door and knocked.

“Hey, idiot, Kakashi is here with food!” he yelled through the door.

Naruto jumped when he heard the knock on the door. He was still deep in thought while he rinsed the soap off himself. He turned off the water and dried off quickly.

“Ok, I am coming!” he answered back as wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out.

“Seriously, where are your pants?” Sasuke asked annoyed.

“Sorry, I was a bit distracted and forgot to take some in with me,” Naruto answered as he grabbed a pair from under his bed and slid them on under the towel. “Ya happy?”

Yamato observed the blonde’s back. He was always amazed at how fast he recovered on his own, but with The Fox’s help, it was mindboggling. His neck and wrists showed no sign of the torture he had faced a few hours ago. The wounds on his back looked easily over a week old. Hopefully, he’d be fully healed by the time The Sage came by.

Kakashi was hoping the same thing, he’d rather not have to explain or have Naruto deal with a Jiraiya sized outburst right now. The boys were busy eating their meals when Naruto stopped and growled in the direction of the door. The others noticed, a few moments later, multiple pairs of foot steps coming up the stairs. 

“Maybe it’s Jin and Taku,” Sasuke joked knowing those footfalls were too heavy.

Before he was in sight, Hibachi mocked Naruto saying, “We heard you got your ass whipped by an angel blood today!”

As soon as Hibachi was visible, before he could react, Sasuke had his arm through the bars grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanked him forward, slamming him into the metal bars. Akane yelped as he met the same fate except at the hand of the scarlet-eyed blond.

“We are far from being in the mood to put up with you bitches,” Sasuke warned.

“What the hell!” Akane exclaimed. “What is wrong with you? We haven’t done anything yet.”

“What he said was enough,” Naruto snarled looking to Hibachi.

“I suggest you both leave,” Kakashi said from the back of the cell.

They nodded in agreement and the caged red-eyed monsters released their shirts. Akane looked at Naruto in confusion.

“From what we heard, you were covered in blood from a beating. All that’s looks off about you is that weird tattoo on your stomach,” Akane commented as soon as he backed away enough to feel safe.

“I was,” Naruto replied. “The pieces of my blood-soaked shirt are on the floor behind me. As for the mark on my stomach, that is none of your business.”

“Leave. He has already spoken to you two enough, you aren’t even worth the air you breathe.” Sasuke added.

Hibachi smirked from his untested realm of safety leaning against the opposite side of the hallway, “I was just hoping to see you bleed like a stuck pig.”

“You want to see me bleed, do you?” Naruto smiled, the dark echo of his voice and the rows of sharp teeth eluding to the next event. “Fine.” Naruto took his left hand, bit into it hard and then flung the blood coming from the wound at them, “Is that good enough for you? LEAVE, NOW!”

“You’re one sick kid,” Akane squealed as he ran off. Hibachi wasn’t far behind.

“Wasn’t that a bit melodramatic?” Sasuke questioned as Naruto walked back to his bed, blood dripping to the floor.

“No, I actually needed some of my blood for something.” Naruto shrugged as he sat on his bed, reaching under with his right hand, pulling out the journal Jiraiya had given him a month and a half ago.

He turned it so the blood seal faced upwards, letting blood drop into the mechanism. Sasuke rolled his eyes, he had seen him try this multiple times and it never worked. This time was different though, it clicked the first couple times like usual but then the seal seemed to separate Naruto’s blood from the demon energy that flowed in it. Sasuke watched as it started clicking in double time, layers of the seal moving in different directions until the cover of the journal popped upwards ever so slightly.

Naruto stretched the bleeding hand a couple times as a dark orange aura flared around it quickly. The bite wound he had given himself healed in a few moments and then he flipped the journal open.

“What did you do different this time?” Sasuke asked not noticing that Kakashi and Yamato had moved close to observe the event.

“I am like this. The Fox mentioned it, that my blood is slightly different when he is loaning me his power.”

“Interesting,” Kakashi stated nodding his head in understanding. “Does The Fox know who’s it is?”

“No, he says he thinks it’s important though. He can only remember flashes of the lives he has been bound to,” Naruto responded as he flipped the first page.

Kakashi had shown Yamato the journal while it was in his hands. He was happy to know it wasn’t just a lost cause for Naruto to chase. He hoped it would be as helpful as Jiraiya alluded. Yamato would have to shorten the wonder of this discovery with what needed to be said.

“Naruto, can you close that for now? We have some things we need to discuss with you and Sasuke.”


	10. Unlocked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to write, I hope it reads well.

Sasuke awoke to Naruto having nightmares almost every night since that day in town. Whenever the blond would finally force himself awake, demon energy would be pumping itself through him. He had told his friend it was The Fox trying to wake him and Sasuke believed him. As soon as he was coherent it would fade, and he’d be back to his blue-eyed, idiotic self. Afterwards, Naruto would read the journal until he fell back to sleep.

Naruto found the journal soothing, he knew who wrote it but refused to tell anyone other than those who already figured it out. His mother had started writing the first time someone had tried to kidnap her for what she was. She kept a record of everything the Sanctified ever tried. He smiled when he found the first mention of his dad. He had saved her in an Empyrean town when she was thirteen. 

Naruto opened his eyes to the journal unlocked, face down, on his stomach with his hand still holding it tight not for the first time. He didn’t understand why he was awake until the sound of heavy footfalls coming up the steps registered in his ears. He quickly closed the journal, locking the seal and shoved it under his bed. He sat up waiting for Pervy Sage to show his face.

“Oh, you’re awake already?” he quietly asked as he stood outside the locked door.

“You are kind of loud,” Naruto whispered back.

“No, you just have super sensitive hearing.”

“Nope, you’re loud,” Sasuke mumbled as he rolled over. “Why are you here? Is it already time for breakfast?”

“Actually, I was wondering if Naruto was willing to tell me what happened in that town a month ago. I know something happened, I am not clueless, but everyone refuses to give me details,” Jiraiya revealed.

“No, I am not going to tell you.” Naruto answered simply.

“Kid, why are you hiding this from me?”

“He doesn’t want to talk about it,” Sasuke answered. “Just know it had nothing to do with The Fox or anything Naruto did or didn’t do.”

“Then why won’t he tell me?” The Sage demanded.

“Because it was humiliating,” Naruto answered this time. “I don’t want to talk about it ever again. I wish I could forget it ever happened.”

Jiraiya stood there watching as Naruto sat on the edge of his bed with his hands clasped together aggressively tapping his foot. Whenever he brought up the subject, Naruto didn’t look embarrassed, he looked outraged. He couldn’t figure out if he was mad at himself or at the situation. He would like to help with whatever it was, but the kid wouldn’t let him.

“Naruto, I do realize I have been a bit pushy when it comes to your occupant, ok? I already apologized when we talked about what happened to your mother. What else am I doing that is bothering you?” The Sage begged to know.

Naruto’s foot stopped tapping immediately and demon energy filled the cell.

“You still hate seeing me like this,” Naruto stated as he stood up and walked over, his scars pronounced, eyes red, teeth sharp, and claws visible. “This is a part of me whether you like it or not. I know never to look like this in any place under Empyrean control. I know what it means, and I know that you don’t trust him, but he has never done anything to harm me. He never will.”

“And tell me how can you be sure of that? Has he ever had the opportunity to make himself visible in front of them, out there? Have you ever given him a chance to possibly betray you to test it!?” Jiraiya fumed.

“YES!” Naruto snarled and then ran his hand through his hair, resting it against the back of his neck as he hung his head. “I got whipped in town that day, and I shifted into this. The Fox didn’t push me at all, he let me get beat to a pulp. He kept quiet through twenty lashings. The only thing he did do was heal me afterwards.”

Jiraiya fell silent for a moment and then asked, just to be sure, “They didn’t see it?”

“No, I kept my head low and my hands in fists the whole time, and it hurt like hell.”

“You looked like hell afterwards, too,” Sasuke added and then turned to Jiraiya as he sat up in his bed. “He waited to have the demon heal him until he was safe in the van. The man whipping him wanted to push him, but Naruto let him beat the shit out of him in the middle of a street full of people.”

“What the hell, how was that even allowed? He would have had a reason to be able to do that,” Jiraiya protested.

“A shopkeeper lied about me threatening him and the man seemed to have a huge thing against possessed. I was an easy target,” Naruto explained.

“Naruto,” Kakashi’s voice sounded from the stairs. “You don’t need to say anymore. That is a day I know you’d rather not remember.”

“Kakashi, why didn’t you tell me about this? That is disgusting,” Jiraiya asked as the gray-haired man walked up to unlock the door.

“Because we thought you’d find a way to blame Naruto,” he answered honestly. “You always seem to jump to that conclusion especially if you knew he was like that for a several hours while The Fox mended everything.”

Kakashi pushed the door open and walked in. Naruto returned to his blue-eyed self and started getting ready for the day. Sasuke followed suit but Jiraiya just stood outside the cell thinking through everything he just heard. The boys were dressed in their winter gear ready to head to breakfast before The Sage spoke again.

“Naruto, I’m truly sorry for failing you. I thought I was protecting you but I guess I was just pushing you away. Kushina would have had my hide and Minato, well, I am not sure. He always had a way of surprising people.”

***

After breakfast, Sasuke and Naruto had to attend a few of the cultural and history classes. Naruto sat there with the side of his face resting in his propped-up hand and Sasuke had his chin resting on his laced fingers, his elbows shoulder width apart. They were both uninterested in the subject matter until it changed to angel and demon castes or classes. Naruto smirked and knew The Fox would probably have some interesting comments.

Angels and Sanctified followed a middle ages idea of classes or estates. While there was no technical Royalty, there was a class that claimed it. They were considered the purists, the closest things to actual angels. Next you had the Nobility, then the Vassals, lastly the Impure bloods, or the commoners. Angels followed a similar structure with different names, Seraphim, Archangels, Warriors, and Cherubim.

Naruto heard The Fox huff at the titles, annoyed that the revolting grasshoppers had any right to name themselves. They only used those labels to try to prove their birthrights in this world which he felt didn’t exist. Sasuke listened to Naruto whisper The Fox’s remarks and smirked, agreeing with him. Naruto had no argument against him either.

Classes or castes of the Demons and Forsaken seemed to interest both boys a bit more. The Depon were nobility among the Forsaken, they were descendants of royalty but, supposedly, the actual royalty had died out long ago. The Treba, or working class, were still powerful but didn’t have the stronger abilities of the Depon. The Nangzan followed that, they were usually hired hands to the upper two classes. The last were the untouchables, the possessed, the Ragyabpa. 

Naruto cringed at that thought. Under the Uzumaki name he was a Depon, but he was also considered possessed which made him a Ragyabpa. Thankfully, the classes among the Forsaken weren’t as cut and dry, even if he was called “untouchable”, his own kind didn’t disown him as quickly as the Sanctified. He could prove himself useful.

Once the instructor got to actual demon classes he visibly shuddered. He named them quickly and in order from highest to lowest. The Abaddon, the Fomorians, the Asmodeus, and the Belial. The Fox commented that those titles were much too ridiculous for everyday speech, but they were true.

“You’re an Abaddon, right? Are they the only group who can possess someone without destroying them?” Naruto mentally asked as he rapped his fingers on the table in front of him.

_“No, the Fomorians can but they don’t usually. They have their own physical form, so they don’t really need to acquire one. They usually take on the forms of everyday animals, that is the reason you telling people you have a fox in you isn’t really that odd.”_

Naruto nodded his head at the information. The Fox had called the mist demons, the elementals, lower class. The blonde figured they were Belial which The Fox confirmed with a small growl. He continued in his own thoughts until Sasuke was suddenly up from his chair.

“What did you say?” Sasuke sneered.

Naruto looked to the boy Sasuke was addressing and wasn’t surprised. There sat Little Flea along with wild-stolen-dagger-kid. They both smiled and the first stood up and answered back. 

“I said that your buddy, there, most have one of the lowest demons around which makes him the lowest of the Ragyabpa.”

“That’s really stupid for you to think that, ya know,” Naruto responded. “If the demon inside of me was the lowest of the low, I wouldn’t have been able to free Jin and Taku.”

“What, are you a demon expert or something?” the wild kid taunted back.

“Did you really just ask a possessed if he was a demon expert?” Sasuke questioned as he sat back down with his arms crossed. “If anyone knows about demons it would be him, you dolt.”

“While your argument has been interesting,” the instructor started, “the four of you are disrupting class. If you continue I will find you better things to do with your time.”

“Sorry,” Naruto said before leaning back in his chair, putting his hands on the back of his neck with his elbows out. 

Sasuke glared at the two other boys until that fully turned back around and pretended to pay attention. He thought about where those two probably sat in the social classes and turned to ask Naruto and stopped himself. The blonde’s eyes kept going in and out of focus which meant The Fox and himself were having some sort of conversation. Sasuke sighed, he would have to ask him about it later when this boring class was over.

“They probably land just a little higher in things than Akane and Hibachi,” Naruto suddenly whispered.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, “Can you read minds now, too?”

“Nope, but I had a feeling we were thinking the same thing.”

“Did The Fox come to that conclusion?”

Naruto shrugged, “He has just been agreeing or disagreeing with my thoughts.”

Sasuke nodded slightly in understanding and continued to listen to the droning of their teacher. They only had fifteen more minutes of this educational torture to put up with until lunch and then the physical training would begin. The teacher began quizzing random trainees on information he had taught during the hour. The questions were relatively easy, if you took notes.

Jin and Taku quickly caught up to Naruto and Sasuke as they walked to the mess hall for lunch. Ever since Naruto sent Yasei, the wild kid’s name according to Taku, flying into a tree, the abuse they endured from the mob of idiots had been less. Jin did share with Sasuke that today they seemed a bit more eager to start something.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Sasuke grumbled. “Why are there so many annoying gnats?”

They reached the mess hall noticing the backs of a trio of nicely dressed, Empyrean proprietors talking with a few guards. Naruto and Sasuke were a bit confused. Auctions usually didn’t happen until Summer and even then, it was rare for them to come onto the compound before they had bought their choice of servant. The Uchiha and Uzumaki quickly led Taku and Jin into the mess hall and through the line. Thy really didn’t want to be noticed right now for whatever they were here for.

Kakashi and Yamato were alerted that three Empyreans had entered the compound without authorization. A former guard had bribed the one manning the gate. Kakashi found them first outside the mess hall. He recognized one of men immediately in the group and radioed it in quickly to Yamato. Then noticed who had gotten them through the gate.

Yamato arrived not a moment later and began demanding answers as to why they were here. The Sanctified group said they knew he had a feral possessed on his property and wished for it to be removed or destroyed. 

“If you are speaking of Naruto, which I am guessing this one told you about,” Yamato started, “he is far from feral. I believe you gave him multiple lashings and he didn’t resist, did he?”

“I had him chained,” the haughty man answered. “You should have heard the horrible noise that came from his throat. I bet he was trying to call more of his kind.”

“Chained and lashed for something he didn’t do. You must leave the premises,” Kakashi replied back. “I will not tolerate you threatening him again especially when he is in Forsaken territory.”

“He is right inside that building. I can sense his filth,” Naruto’s abuser stated to the two Empyreans accompanying him. “I will prove to all of you what he is.”

They sat in their usual area, Sasuke and Naruto faced the doors while Jin and Taku sat on the other side. Jin and Taku watched the other two as they looked around. They both grew concerned when Sasuke’s eyes shifted to red and began to dart around the room. 

“What’s going on?” Taku finally asked.

“You saw them, right? They never set foot on here without reason. Usually it’s to pick up the ones who have been auctioned off and they won. That doesn’t happen until Summer. It’s winter,” Naruto answered before shoveling more food into his mouth.

“So why are they here?” Jin inquired.

“Exactly,” Sasuke stated. “We are trying to figure that out.”

Sasuke kept looking from one door to another, noticing them outside. Their angel blood did give their auras different qualities. They seemed lighter, if that was even the right word. It was like the difference between clouds on a sunny day and the dark ones that rolled in before a storm. Naruto’s aura was warm but was like a summer thunderstorm, these were cool like light clouds that produced flurries in late Autumn.

Sasuke saw them moving closer to the doors and Kakashi appeared suddenly in front of them. His arms were crossed and the way he was standing made him look anything but welcoming. Yamato came and stood beside him, his face demanding something of them. Two gloved hands were then on their shoulders and pushed both on them out of the way.

“Shit,” Sasuke gasped and then he yelled, “NARUTO! We need to get out of here!”

The man was inhumanly fast and as soon as Naruto moved to stand up, his gloved hand was around Naruto’s neck holding him against the wall behind them. The people in the room began to scatter not understanding what was happening. The blond dangled a couple feet off the ground and his hands were around the man’s wrist, wanting to free himself. Sasuke needed to know what the hell this guy was doing here, who let him in? 

The Uchiha looked back at the door and saw that same guard. The one from their first night here. The one that got fired for giving Yasei his dagger. He stood there smiling as Naruto hung from the wall in the hands of his abuser of a month ago. Sasuke waited until he locked eyes with him and caught him. The ex-guard fell to the floor in fits as Sasuke mentally tortured him with illusions of demons ripping him apart.

Naruto witnessed what Sasuke was doing and smiled until he was shaken by the vile thing pinning him against the wall. He looked at the man and watched as the man looked him over as if trying to find something else to do with him. He finally looked at his eyes as a revolting grin spread across his face.

“I see you are back in good health. I met someone who says that demon inside you is quite real, let me see it?” he asked with an almost innocent tone.

“If you are talking about that sad excuse for a guard, Sasuke is taking care of him right now,” Naruto said with strangled breath.

“Let me see that thing inside you,” he demanded this time.

“Why? You’re inside Mephistophelian borders now. You can’t whip me for it if I did,” the Forsaken blond barely got out as he man’s grip got tighter.

“Naruto,” Kakashi called.

The Uzumaki turned his eyes in his direction. Kakashi was smiling behind his mask and Yamato seemed to have an amused expression as well.

“Do it.”

Naruto felt The Fox respond before he could. He jolted at the sudden surge of hot, demonic energy and turned his head to smile wickedly at the man who suddenly didn’t seem so sure of himself. The demon jailer sank his claws into the man’s wrists and fell to the floor as the shocked Sanctified pulled away crashing into the table behind him. Naruto looked at his razor-sharp nails stained with the man’s blood and placed one on his tongue.

“Oh, don’t you taste like a liar,” Naruto commented not hiding his demon echo. “In town I thought you were on the high end of the Empyrean hierarchy. You’re nothing but a vassal in fancy clothes.”

“Are you serious?” Sasuke’s voice growled as the guard was just barely twitching on the ground. “He got to lash you twenty times and you are higher on the Forsaken food chain then he is on the Sanctified one.”

“His blood doesn’t lie,” Naruto answered back as he sucked the blood from another finger like it was barbecue sauce. 

“Naruto.”

Naruto turned his head to look at Yamato, “Yes, Sir Yamato?”

“Are you telling me this man had no authority to lash you?”

“Wait!” said a Sanctified observer who had made their way in through the trainees trying to get out. “How do you know he is telling the truth? It is disgusting that he laps up blood like a thirsty dog but that doesn’t prove he is telling the truth. I mean, he’s possessed.”

“Naruto, what are his elemental abilities?” Kakashi asked.

Naruto ran his tongue across the rest of his nails and then his eyes narrowed, “Just earth.”

“What the hell!? His cane was battery powered, it that what you are saying?” Sasuke exclaimed.

“Yeah, he doesn’t have a touch of lightning at all. Most be why he only shocked both of us twice.”

“You mean, this one?” Yamato asked Sasuke as he began inspecting the one he confiscated. “Oh yes, here it is,” he finished as he opened a compartment on top that held a charging device.

The second Sanctified man looked at the man still cowering on the table, “You shocked them both? For what he did, he was only to receive fifteen lashings. That’s it. Are you saying you broke regulations again!?”

“I guess you didn’t hear me the first time, he gave Naruto twenty lashings,” Sasuke corrected.

“We’re leaving. It’s sad a possessed seems to have more sanity than you, even if he does drink blood.”

“Wait, what? Look at him! The demon has taken control and he fuckin’ clawed me. Listen to his voice, just look at him! He will go out of control soon!” the man yelled as he finally moved and ran up to the other man in the room.

“We gave you more freedom and power than we should have, and you have abused it too many times. I am leaving you here. My wife and I are going back to the estate. I no longer want you in our household,” the other man stated as he walked to the doorway and then stopped. “Oh, and he looks in more control of whatever is inside of him than you are of your prejudice.”

Naruto cocked his head to one side and grinned. He didn’t have to throw a punch or anything. The Fox did say to not underestimate their fear, being feared in this way wasn’t so bad.

_“No, it’s not although, he left you in a worse state then claws being sunk into a wrist.”_

“Sasuke, how long did it take that guard to go unconscious?” Naruto asked.

“Not long, why?”

“Maybe you should show this guy what twenty lashes feels like,” Naruto suggested with his eyebrows raised.

“Sir Kakashi?” Sasuke asked with a smirk. 

“Sure but let everyone leave the mess hall before you get started. I think seeing Naruto drink blood and you make an ex-guard convulse has ruined a few appetites.”

“You can’t do that to me!” the man wailed. “I have angel blood and you are nothing be dirty, Forsaken shit!”

“You abused your power in angel territory, and for some reason thought it was a good idea to try in the land of demons. Why did you come here, did you really think we’d just let you strut around?” Sasuke asked as he watched the stragglers file out.

“To get him chained and shackled! He is an abomination! He shouldn’t even be allowed to live,” the man snarled. “His parents should have killed him at birth!”

Naruto snapped and was on top of the man now lying on the floor, clawed hand at his throat and his pointed teeth only mere inches from his face, snarls ripping out of his throat and his eyes wild with rage. 

“How dare you speak of them! They died saving me from your kind as they wiped out my clan. My mother was killed in cold blood the day she gave birth to me and my dad, my dad made sure I lived by dying.” A deep growl rumbled through Naruto as he tried to keep himself from ripping this man’s heart out, “I am still not allowed to kill you here, but know I’d have no trouble. You may be able to sense me easily, but that is the only strength you have.”

Naruto reluctantly let him go by smashing him into the floor once and was glad there was Combat and Weapons training after this. He needed to beat something, rip something to shreds. He walked away and as he passed Sasuke, the Uchiha had devilish look on his face.

“Maybe he’ll feel more than just twenty lashings,” Sasuke said slyly. 

Yamato had the man dragged to a holding cell after he mentally experienced twenty lashings and a cleansing by a group of possessed. He was in a state of shock, scared of anything that came near him afterward, and begged to never see the Uchiha or Uzumaki again. Kakashi let them know he’d probably be picked up in the morning by someone who knew him, maybe he’d call the shopkeeper.

***

Naruto was currently covered in scratches, cuts, and bruises from his spar with Sasuke. He had settled down enough to reign in the demon side of himself, but he still wanted to destroy everything. Sasuke seemed to be in the same mindset and his attacks were proving it. They were only holding back so they wouldn’t kill each other. 

Sasuke seemed to have a few new tricks up his sleeve, he had become almost instantaneous in copying techniques and reading Naruto’s movements. Naruto was having a hard time keeping up. The Uchiha was dodging him before he even made a move. He had tried duplicating himself several times, but those red eyes were able to keep track of every single copy. 

Naruto was trying find a solution without The Fox, he wanted to prove he was as strong as Sasuke without the demon. An arc of lightning came the blonde’s way when he remembered, wind beats lightning. He collected as much energy as he could into his right hand and swung it out in front of him to create a massive tornado of wind. The lightning was caught and headed back, directly towards the one who released it. 

Sasuke eyes grew wide, even with the knowledge of it coming, it was too late. The column of wind and lightning was too fast and too large to dodge. He found a large outcropping of earth, left over from another fight, to hide behind. Even then, he received damage as the stone and dirt disintegrated from the attack. As soon as the ear shattering noise of the vortex ceased, he slowly turned around to look at his opponent. The Uzumaki was smiling before he let himself fall, face first, into the ground.

Naruto was spent, his body ached everywhere, and he felt like he needed to sleep for a week. He closed his eyes and a few minutes later he heard Sasuke plop down beside him. He opened an eye to look at his friend holding his left arm against himself and breathing as hard as he was.

“That last attack was a good idea. I think I am pretty useless for a good while now,” Sasuke commented.

“Yeah, it took a lot out of me, too. I think I put too much into that wind attack. I haven’t learned to gauge your lightning well,” Naruto responded.

A third person sat down on the other side of Naruto and chuckled, “You two have improved quite a bit. We have a little more than four months to get you guys ready.”

Naruto rolled over on to his back to face Kakashi and then noticed Jiraiya behind him. He was about to ask a question but Sasuke beat him to it.

“Will it be enough time?”

“It should be plenty of time, especially since you two are already ahead of the others your age. Your weapons fit your fighting styles well, too.” The Sage commented as he picked up Naruto’s short Kusarigama that had been dropped before his wind attack.

“The Fox helps me, shows me how my mom would her Kusarigama,” Naruto commented as he closed his eyes again remembering. 

“Hm, so The Fox thought she was good with this, too, huh? She was a fiery woman,” Jiraiya commented. 

Naruto smiled at the comment, he was relieved Pervy Sage accepted the being sealed inside him and was even willing to talk openly about The Fox without a hint of preconception. The blonde’s stomach growled loudly as Kakashi was about to speak again, which caused a few chuckles.

“You know, what I was about to say can wait. You guys need to get dinner. I’ll meet you back in your room afterwards,” The gray-haired instructor said as he stood up.

Naruto thrust his arm into the air, “Fox medic, some healing please!”

_“What did you just call me?”_ The Fox asked sounding unimpressed.

“Oh, come on, just heal me a little, please?” Naruto asked out loud with a whine. “I am so hungry, and I’d like to walk there without limping the whole way!”

_“Then show me some respect, kid. I am more than just your medic!”_ He snarled.

“Can’t even take a joke,” Naruto pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as he lay on the ground. 

Sasuke smirked, “Fox medic? Seriously?”

“I was just trying to have a little fun, ok? You and The Fox could learn a little about that.”

Naruto felt the demon energy mending his legs but just enough for walking. He sat up, pulled up his pant leg, and began to examine his ankles and the cuts along his shins. Well, he was allowing him to walk and looking as beat up as he was, maybe people would believe he actually worked for the power he had. He turned and looked at Sasuke who was still holding his arm.

“Maybe we should head to the infirmary first, you could use a little healing yourself,” Naruto suggested.

“Yeah, I would like to eat in a little less pain,” Sasuke winced. “Is Lady Tsunade here today?” he asked Jiraiya.

“Yeah, she had to come check up on some idiot who threatened a couple demon-bloods in their own territory,” The Sage mused. “Supposedly, his injuries were some piercings through his wrists and mental trauma. I wonder what trainees could have caused them?” he continued, his eyes rolling until they landed on Sasuke and Naruto. “I wish I would have been there to see it.”

***

Lady Tsunade, after giving both boys a lecture about hurting each other and taking their idea of punishment too far, healed Sasuke’s arm. She let them know she’d be talking to Yamato and Kakashi too about the events that transpired during lunch. The man feared everything he did now, scared that it would come back to him tenfold. Naruto thought that was a good thing, Sasuke nodded in agreement which just made the busty, blond-headed medic want to pound them through the floor into the basement. The boys went running out of the infirmary and straight to the mess hall. Maybe if they were around enough people she wouldn’t come after them.

When they entered the building, things grew noticeably quiet. Sasuke and Naruto looked around and watched as people shifted in their seats and were quietly whispering things they thought neither one could hear. Naruto smirked at some of their assumptions and almost laughed at others. Sasuke waited to ask until they were seated. Thankfully, Jin and Taku didn’t shy away from them at all when they sat down.

“Looks like you guys were doing some intense training,” Jin spoke as Naruto settled in his seat.

“The Tournaments aren’t too far away, we need to be as strong as we can,” Sasuke responded back as he picked up his fork.

“What did Kakashi say? Four months to go?” Naruto questioned.

“Just over four months,” Sasuke corrected.

“Too bad it is during the winter months,” Taku began, “the weather isn’t very forgiving. And look at your clothes, those probably don’t provide much warmth anymore.”

Naruto shrugged, although he could feel cold, it was rare. It usually only happened when he was extremely tired. Sasuke also seemed to handle the lower temperatures well. It could be that they were usually always moving, doing some sort of physical training. The few classes they had to sit down for were a pain.

The conversation continued with Jin and Taku asking questions about The Tournaments and if they knew when kind of events they would entail. They never bought up the man from lunch, hearing what Sasuke had said about him being the cause of Naruto’s rumored condition a month ago. They were worried about him the week or so afterwards, he was withdrawn and seemed uncharacteristically jumpy. Thankfully, he had slowly returned to his normal, goofball self.

Taku swiftly moved onto the tabletop to catch something before it could hit Naruto in the back of the head. He abruptly began to gag as he dropped it to the table top and tried to shake blood and guts from his hand. A dead, partially gutted rabbit now covered Naruto’s tray.

“We thought we should feed you like we do the dogs,” Hibachi taunted as Naruto stared at the mangled animal. “I mean, you do drink blood and now everyone knows it. Might as well not hide the fact that soon you’ll be eating everything raw.”

“Soon?” Naruto repeated and then laughed. “What do you think I stole from the delivery truck a while back?”

Hibachi looked at him confused and then at Akane, 

“He stole of package of raw chicken, you dickheads,” Sasuke clarified.

Naruto handed Taku his napkin and then picked the carcass up by the hind legs, turned around and held it out in front of him. It was a small rabbit, and badly cleaned. They had skipped even skinning the thing, blood dripped from it onto the floor.

“Well, it’s fresh but you didn’t even bother skinning it. You expect me to eat the fur off this thing? It will probably just get caught in my teeth,” Naruto said with mock disgust. “If this is what you feed the dogs, I feel bad for them.”

“And isn’t it a health code violation to bring that thing in here?” Sasuke added as he looked at the dead mammal.

“Well the hell?” Akane finally spoke up. “We throw a fuckin’ dead rabbit at you and you are talking about it like you’d eat it if it was in better shape or in a different place.”

“Sir Kakashi said I wasn’t allowed to eat raw things in front of people with weak stomachs. Taku was already gagging and I am guessing he isn’t the only one that finds this gross,” Naruto informed him.

“I was wondering what was taking you two so long,” Kakashi voice rang from the doorway. “What’s with the rabbit?”

“Akane and Hibachi thought the idiot should go on a raw food diet,” Sasuke summarized.

“Why am I the idiot in this situation?” Naruto questioned. “I am just holding the damn rabbit to keep Taku from losing his dinner.”

“Akane, Hibachi, go report to Yamato immediately. The entire mess hall is going to need a thorough cleaning because you brought that stupid thing in here,” Kakashi ordered. He turned to Sasuke and Naruto, “You two, come with me. Naruto bring the tortured rabbit.”

They stood up and followed Kakashi out the door. He was letting Yamato know what happened over the mic he constantly wore in his ear while in the compound. Naruto wondered what the heck he was supposed to do with the dead thing in his hand. He had been tempted to tear apart the thing in front of everyone just to watch most of them vomit but knew Kakashi would skin him. Sasuke was just annoyed by everything. Akane and Hibachi obviously weren’t smart enough to just give it up already. 

“Well, those two should be busy the next few days, they not only have to clean the hall but work it for a week while keeping up with the dogs.” Kakashi smirked. “I love it when they get in trouble, they always make someone else’s job easier.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “I wish they’d give up on all of this. I know it’s mainly directed at Naruto, but it is really annoying.”

“Naruto, are you going to eat that?” Kakashi questioned as he continued walking. “If you are, clean the thing a bit better first.”

“And let me at least roast it a little, rabbit tastes pretty good. A simple fire technique can do that,” Sasuke added.

When they got back to their building, Kakashi gave Naruto a knife to clean the rabbit with. He did the job over one of his ripped shirts and an old towel in a clearing on the far side of the barracks. Sasuke used the stained fabric as fuel to start a small fire and built a makeshift rig to cook the meal on.

“This was actually good practice,” Kakashi said as he watched the two boys eat. “Sometimes one of the events in The Tournaments is a survival challenge. Other times it’s mind games or tests that see if you can think of unusual solutions.”

“Ok, so why exactly do they hold these? If the challenges change each time, is there any other reason but for entertainment?”

Kakashi looked around and then answered quietly, “I am supposed to tell you it gives people who may want to own you a peek at your abilities and personalities, but we could use it for other things.” Kakashi waited to see if the boys seemed interested. “I would like to use this event to show them that your kind are far from weak. That you could be a threat if you wanted to. It may keep their counsels from trying to overstep their power.”

“Couldn’t that lead to other Cleansings?” Naruto asked. “I mean, didn’t they attack my clan because of what my mom was, her power?”

“Yes, but more and more Sanctified are starting to see Cleansings differently. They are questioning if they are actually stopping a rebellion from happening or fueling a better one,” Kakashi began. “Think about it, if you two, from cleansed clans, come out as some of the strongest in your first Tournament they will worry they made you stronger by Harvesting you so early and wiping out your clans. They will possibly conclude that it drove you to be what you are.”

Sasuke put his hand to his chin and thought it through, “You are saying it may cause Cleansings to stop?”

“Maybe not stop them but make it so they really have to consider the consequences.”

Naruto ripped through one of the legs of the rabbit in thought, “Ok, so you want us to not only do well to get a better life after auction but to give the angel-blooded bastards something to think about?”

“Yes, it was the reason I took you away from that labor camp. Yamato and I see a way for you two to tip the balance. As you get older, we will figure out other ways to throw them for a loop. This needs to happen, a century of this has been too long. You ready to play this game?” Kakashi asked them both.

The evening continued with Kakashi explaining The Tournaments, the counsels, and how things could go depending on certain outcomes. He knew the boys needed something to aim for, something bigger than themselves and he was willing to give them that. There was a small group of people who were willing to give them the ability to cause change in this upside-down world.

***

Naruto and Sasuke had fallen asleep quickly once Kakashi locked them into their cell. He had promised before he left that he’d bring them new winter gear come morning. Naruto’s night was full of nightmares and Sasuke was there to witness them. He had never seen him wake up so often in a night. 

As soon as his breathing would hit a steady, even rhythm his body would start twitching and the cries of pain would begin. Sasuke would watch as the demon would try to shock him awake with sudden bursts of demon energy. Naruto would wake up looking horrified. Sasuke would watch, as he stayed laying on his side, trying to figure it out.

He had watched Naruto grab the journal after the first night terror and read it to fall asleep. Each time he seemed to calm down and look content, he’d fall asleep with it face down, open on his chest or stomach and wake up again twenty minutes later. If this kept up for a few nights, the blond would be unable to function. Sasuke tried to listen to see if any of the words that came shrieking out of his mouth meant anything. 

Another night terror took a hold of Naruto and the Uchiha watched as his friend sat up suddenly knocking the journal to the floor. His breathing was more like gasps and his eyes were unnaturally wide and bright red. He abruptly clutched his head and winced, his razor-sharp teeth becoming visible. Sasuke noticed his expression grow concerned when he didn’t find the journal on his bed and then relieved when he saw it on the floor. As the demon jailer bent down from his bed to reach for it his arm and hand shook.

Very gingerly, Naruto grabbed the book with his clawed hand trying not to damage it when his head shot up to look at Sasuke. His cellmate was regarding him with red-eyes of his own and sat up slowly. Naruto pulled the journal up to his bed while keeping eye contact.

“What’s going on?” Sasuke asked, not blinking.

“Just the nightmares again,” Naruto quickly responded.

“No, it’s not. I have never seen it happen this frequently. As soon as you fall asleep it starts. You’ve had one, sometimes two a night. It has happened five times tonight, it’s ridiculous.” The Uchiha then got up grabbed something from the floor before coming to sit on the end of Naruto’s bed, “And this fell out of the journal when you dropped it.”

Naruto took the object from Sasuke’s hands, but his eyes never left the journal, they just stayed wide, and scarlet, as he stared into nothingness.

“This part that I am reading, it's about my mom trying to help the clans that were facing Cleansings. She had figured out she could tamper with the seal just enough to gain more power, my father helped her but was worried about letting it get too loose.” Naruto closed his eyes and licked his lips, “The Fox must be remembering more details, too, because the more I read the more memories are leaking into my mind, especially when I sleep.”

“Wait, so they aren’t nightmares, they are your mother’s memories that are doing this to you?” Sasuke questioned, his eyes wide.

“She saved your clan, ya know. The first time they tried to cleanse you away. I think, I think that is why they actually ended up coming after her.”

Sasuke was confused, he never heard about an earlier cleansing, “Why do you say that?”

Naruto turned just a page or two back and marked it with one hand and then flipped through until the writing stopped and then marked that with his other. There were maybe twelves pages between. He looked at Sasuke, to make sure he was watching. When he flipped one page past the end of her handwriting, a rust-tinged brown stain of splatter covered the paper.

“I am afraid to read the end,” Naruto stated simply. “They killed the Uzumaki clan to get to yours.”

“If you haven’t read it, how would you know?”

Naruto picked up the book and turned to last page he had read, “They saw what I am. I know those angel-blooded murderers know, but I couldn’t let them murder another clan, not the Uchiha, not anyone else. They aren’t fighting fair. They weaken us with harvests and then destroy us.”

Sasuke watched as Naruto stopped reading and his eyes widened. He looked at him and then back to the journal. The blond opened his mouth to read again and then closed it. He closed his eyes and stayed that way for a few moments and then opened them again.

“Do you want to hear the next part, it might give you nightmares.”

"Why would I get nightmares from something your mother wrote?” Sasuke said annoyed. “Just read it if it will prove your point.”

Naruto cleared his throat and began reading again, “They were killing everyone. Beheading men, strangling women, and executing children, everyone was dying. I had to at least protect Mikoto, she’s pregnant with her second. Itachi was doing his best but he is only five. Fugaku was fighting with the other men, trying to get rid of the Sanctified before they entered the settlement, but they were overwhelmed. I know she would do the same, or, at least, I’d hope so.

They outnumbered us five to one. I couldn’t do much with just my weapons or my more normal abilities and so I asked the demon, I asked him to destroy them. He helped do that, I killed half of them before I regained my sanity. And the ones that were left ran, they ran knowing what I am.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto, “You’re making that shit up. There is no way. There is no fuckin’ way she knew my family.”

Naruto turned the journal around and tapped a claw where it started, he watched and waited. In the meantime, he took a closer look at the thing Sasuke said fell out of the journal. He was confused by that idea, he hadn’t noticed anything stuffed into it before. It was an envelope with another seal over the flap. It was dirty and stained. He narrowed his eyes at it, it looked like the same seal as the journal. He raised his thumb, about to bite down on it until Sasuke said something.

Sasuke read it, and then past it, appalled and yet fascinated. He hadn’t heard his brother’s name in ages and here it was in Naruto’s mother’s handwriting. His mother and father were mentioned too. They knew each other, Naruto’s parents and his. They knew each other well enough to help each other. What were the odds that Naruto and himself would even meet after the Cleansings picked up more steam.

“Your mother realized she was pregnant after that,” the Uchiha announced.

Naruto grabbed the journal away and realized Sasuke was on the next page. He turned back a page just to make sure he understood the events. He found the place he had pointed out to Sasuke and kept reading. He was right. 

When his mom returned to the Uzumaki settlement his father was waiting, worried. She had gone off without telling him, while he was helping another clan, and she wasn’t feeling well. She knew if she was just sick The Fox would have healed her already, so she was confused. She was confused until The Fox pointed out that he wasn’t the only resident in her body anymore. She was pregnant.

“I guess, I guess it makes sense. We are the same age, you’re just a few months older,” Naruto whispered. “Maybe that’s how they knew ...”

“Knew what?” Sasuke asked.

“Knew when to attack. Maybe one of the Empyreans in the Cleanse could sense it. I mean, who knows what other abilities exist out there. Maybe they figured out she was pregnant too and just waited for the right time.” Naruto froze and then turned to Sasuke, “Does that mean, I killed my mom?”

“WHAT!? Why would you even say that, you idiot. You were a freakin’ newborn,” Sasuke exclaimed. 

“But they knew her giving birth to me would weaken her, make it easy to attack. They knew they could destroy her then, get The Fox out of her. It was because of me.”

“Just stop. It’s not like you knew that. Like you just grew in your mother hoping and praying that some crazy attack wasn’t going to happen on your birthday. You didn’t come out smarter than you are now.”

Naruto glared at the ending insult but couldn’t help but think about it. He gave her away, he was the variable that made the cleansing successful. He was-

_“Seriously, stop. Your mother never regretted being pregnant with you. She never thought of her pregnancy as a burden and neither did your father. Don’t you dare make it one after the fact,”_ The Fox lectured. _“You are ridiculous. It is their fault. The Sanctified don’t worry about Harvests or Cleansings. They don’t have to plan a family around either of those possibilities. They are weak because of that fact, they are blissfully unaware of how easy they have it.”_


	11. Black, White, and Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not much crazy action in his, they are traveling. Side Note, I read about Aokigahara for the next chapter.

Naruto didn’t read any farther into the journal that night or the next few months. His thoughts still lingered on the previous things he had learned and how they all connected to the world he currently lived in. He had let Sasuke read the journal up to the same point but refused to let him read anything else. 

The blond also refused to open the object that had fallen out of the journal. Its appearance worried him as much as the last several pages of the journal. What was in it and why? Who would have stuffed something else inside that journal? It was driving him mad but not mad enough to risk his sanity. 

Sasuke was watching as Naruto dodged and blocked blows from another trainee in Combatives class. He could tell his friend was bored and just going through the motions. Sasuke ducked and then kicked his partner in the stomach, watching as he crumbled into a heap on the ground. He got an idea and waited until Naruto caught the trainee’s punch with his hand and then ran over elbowing the kid out of the way. 

“Naruto, I need an actual challenge,” Sasuke stated as he took a fighting stance in front of the him letting his eyes shift to their red state with the swirling pattern.

“Good, I was getting bored,” Naruto replied as he readied himself.

Kakashi shook his head in amusement as the rest of the class backed away forming a wide circle around the two. He didn’t stop them; the day was dragging on forever so maybe this would make it a bit more exciting. He lifted his patch over his Uchihian eye to be able to watch more closely, they both had gotten quite fast in the last couple months. He heard a crackling begin in his ear.

Naruto attacked first, a sweeping low kick causing Sasuke to jump, which the blonde followed with a wall of wind to launch the Uchiha higher. He crouched and rocketed himself into the air planning to send his opponent plummeting back to the ground with a few good punches. Sasuke ruined that plan.

Naruto cursed as a large fire attack now blocked his unstoppable path upwards. As soon as he felt the heat, Sasuke slammed a hammer kick into his shoulder causing him to plunge into the ground. Naruto started to pull himself up, forming ideas in his mind for his next move.

“Naruto,” the Uchiha called causing Naruto to lock eyes with him, freezing him in his tracks with a simple illusion. “Sit, now stay,” Sasuke taunted his friend.

Naruto growled and heard The Fox echo it as the demon ripped the illusion apart that had him frozen. Naruto lurched forward, Sasuke easily dodging it as he glared. He despised that the blond had learned that trick a month back. Catching him in them used to so amusing. Sasuke backed up a few more steps as three more Narutos came into existence. His eyes following their advances noticing the original staying in the back, his hands in a familiar position.

Naruto harnessed the energy he was expelling into the violently rotating orb as his copies kept Sasuke busy. When he was satisfied, he waited for the perfect opportunity just to have Sasuke appear behind him. Naruto dodged and blocked the attack with his one free hand and moved to shove the orb into Sasuke’s smug face. The Uchiha caught the Uzumaki’s hand with his left and then smiled as small sparks of electricity began to trickle down his arm.

“Oh, come on, you bastard. Electroshock therapy is abuse,” Naruto mockingly chastised before making the orb expand and burst into his face.

Naruto smirked as Sasuke yelled curses in his direction while grabbing his face. 

“That was a cheap shot, you idiot!” Sasuke snarled before planting his hand onto Naruto’s chest, sending a bolt of lightning straight into Naruto’s frame. 

Naruto eyes went wide as the shock ricocheted through his body, every nerve in agony, before he fell to the ground.

Kakashi chuckled as the two in the center of the crowd recovered and the students discussed things among themselves. He lowered the patch back down as Yamato appeared beside him.

“Looks like that was a quick one,” he commented as Naruto finally pushed himself from the ground. “Good thing they start their trip to Nysa tomorrow. Seems like they need The Tournaments to feel challenged anymore.”

“It was only quick because they know they can’t hurt anyone else and the battlefield was rather small,” Kakashi explained. “And I do agree with you. At this rate, they’ll be moved to the other side of the compound before they’re sixteen.”

“Don’t be so sure, there are still a few classes they need to take until they are qualified and didn’t Jiraiya mention teaching Naruto Sage techniques?”

“Sure, but you think they’ll be satisfied with their peers’ abilities when trying to improve themselves?” Kakashi questioned. 

Naruto watched as Sasuke finally pulled his right hand from his face. He looked slightly singed from the ordeal but nothing too terrible. The Uchiha stood and glared at him, crossing his arms.

“That was your idea, to let that thing burst in my face? It could have also injured you, burnt your hand to a crisp if you overloaded it too much,” Sasuke scowled.

“Yeah, I know. I figured I’d heal fast enough while dodging your other attacks. I didn’t know you’d immediately turn me into a lightning rod,” Naruto said annoyed. “Getting electrocuted never feels good, ya know.”

“Well, maybe you should start planning on it more.”

Kakashi clapped twice getting every student’s attention, “I hope you guys enjoyed the little show but I have an announcement. I will be leaving and won’t be back for at least two months. While I am away, Anko will be taking over the classes I instruct. I advise you not to try her patience. Her idea of discipline is very unorthodox.”

“You mean the woman who marks us, that Anko?” one of the kids asked loudly.

“Yes, that Anko,” Yamato clarified. “She is actually very talented in combat skills and adept with many types of weapons. You’ll be under good tutelage.”

The entire group seemed to groan in unison before they were dismissed to their next class. Kakashi grabbed Naruto and Sasuke before they could join them and motioned them to follow Yamato and himself.

“We have things we need to do before we go. First of all, you need to pack, you’ll be gone for a long while,” Kakashi began. “Traveling with you two in tow should be interesting.”

“Wait, we are already leaving, too? I just thought you were going ahead of us or something,” Naruto expressed in confusion.

“Today is definitely not the day you stop being an idiot,” Sasuke stated as he started to follow Kakashi. “What do we need to pack? It’s not like we have a bunch of our own property.”

“Well, bring what few clothes you have, those books we keep forgetting to return to the library, and anything else you want. We’ll do some shopping during our trip for anything extra you might need,” Kakashi explained.

They packed everything in the small backpacks Yamato provided in minutes, while Kakashi loaded his trunks. Both overseers gave the two Forsaken warnings about keeping a low profile whenever they were within Sanctified borders and to not question orders. There would many new things they had never dealt with and so they would need to follow Kakashi’s lead. They watched as Yamato handed Kakashi small booklets saying all the visas were approved but he couldn’t find accommodations easily in Sanctified territory.

Yamato drove them into town and then they walked to the train station. It was crowded and overwhelming for the two youths. Kakashi continued to a ticket booth, handing the booking clerk the two booklets that held the boys’ visas along with his own. The clerk looked over the identification and questioned if the ones under his care were sealed properly. Naruto and Sasuke had to show the markings on the back of their necks and sign paperwork stating they were responsible for any damage they might cause.

The Uzumaki covered his ears as the loud but sleek metal thing rolled into the station. Naruto and Sasuke had seen photos of trains but never actually witnessed one. The Uchiha looked unimpressed as always.

“We’ll be sitting in the coach car, ahead of the dining car,” Kakashi instructed. “You should probably use the bathroom before we board. I doubt they will let you up until we arrive at our next destination. I’ll stay behind to watch them load the larger baggage.”

They did as they were told, earning a few glares for wandering around without their overseer. When they returned, Kakashi was waiting to board and led them to their row of seats. They sat facing an older couple that looked somewhat terrified to have Forsaken youths not but a couple feet away from them. Naruto tried to be friendly by offering a small grin, Sasuke decided not to waste the effort. 

Kakashi had taken the aisle seat to stay aware of what was going on in the train, while the boys argued over the window seat, which Sasuke eventually won leaving a pouting Naruto between them. The blonde’s blue eyes lazily watched the older woman across from him as the elderly man kept his eyes on the brunette. Sasuke was peering out the window waiting for the train to start moving.

Naruto noticed the ticket collector walk by and speak to Kakashi, tearing their tickets, and ten minutes later the train began to move with a slight jerk. There were a couple garbled announcements over an unseen speaker system as it began to pick speed leaving the station. Naruto dozed off after a while with nothing better to do.

Sasuke heard the blonde’s muffled snore within an hour after the train left. He sighed as he watched the scenery glide by wondering where exactly they were headed. Kakashi and Yamato had refused to tell them stating they would know when they got to each destination. He turned to look over the slumped Naruto to see Kakashi reading one of his dirty books again. This was going to be a boring ride.

Sasuke asleep against the window and Naruto slumped in on himself snoring away is the sight that greeted Kakashi as he peeked over his book half an hour later. The older couple were now whispering things to each other as they gestured to different features the Forsaken and possessed. Kakashi figured they knew more about the Mephistophelian clans than most of their kind.

“He didn’t have the red eyes though, they were dark, almost black,” the woman commented.

“They are only red when they use their abilities,” the man corrected. “Everything points to an Uchiha.”

“They were wiped out five or six years ago, weren’t they?” she questioned.

“Maybe not, maybe they kept some alive for breeding purposes,” the man argued.

“I guess, but is that wise? What about this blonde boy? There were very few clans that had that golden color of hair. The only one I can think of got snuffed out decades ago.”

“Not all of them, a few escaped. They were said to be able to ride the winds, remember? Quick and unseen?”

“That is true, but I don’t think he is one. He may have the hair, but don’t you sense his energy? It’s strong and he has tons of it,” the woman started as she stared at Naruto. “And he is marked possessed but shows no real signs. The only clan known to be able to handle demons that easily was the Uzumaki.”

“One of them,” the man again corrected. “And they killed her and her clan during a Cleansing remember. Plus, most of them were redheads.”

“So, am I the first blond one you’ve seen then?” Naruto groggily interrupted as he stretched.

The couple jumped slightly and then looked at Kakashi. He just shrugged and closed his book.

“Ah, Naruto, you are awake. We should be reaching our next stop shortly,” Kakashi greeted as he patted him on the shoulder. “Hopefully, we can get some dinner there.”

Naruto kept his eyes on the couple in front of him but smiled, “Food sounds great, I’m starving.” He then slowly turned his head in Kakashi’s direction, “Will we be staying overnight at that stop?”

“No, all the inns and hotels refused to house you and Sasuke. Our next stop will provide lodging.”

Naruto nodded and leaned back in the seat, stretching his legs out and placing his hands behind his neck. He went to close his eyes again when he heard the man clear his throat. He tilted his head in the man’s direction and looked at him, waiting to see if he was going to say anything.

“Why are they being transported?” the older gentleman said to Kakashi.

“In a couple months they will take part in The Tournaments. I figured I’d take some extra time to let them see the outside world since they will soon be a part of it one way or another,” Kakashi answered easily, leaning over to place his book in his pack.

“The Tournaments!” the woman exclaimed, “Aren’t they a bit young for that? I mean, not that I question your judgement but, how old are they?”

“Thirteen,” Kakashi answered as he watched Naruto become more interested in the conversation, elbowing Sasuke to get him to wake up.

“Thirteen,” the woman repeated. “They were only harvested a year ago then.”

Naruto couldn’t help but laugh at that and Sasuke drowsily chuckled to himself. The man and woman looked at the boys and then back to Kakashi with alarm.

“Why are they laughing at my wife?” the man asked angrily. “What did she say that they found so comical?”

“Naruto, Sasuke, apologize. They don’t know any better,” Kakashi reprimanded his students, which was followed by mumbled apologies. “They were harvested much earlier than that, that is what they find funny,” he explained to the older couple.

“Law states that slaves can only be harvested at the age of twelve,” the man declared. “Why would they be harvested any earlier?”

“You said yourselves that the Uchiha were wiped out five or six years ago, correct?” Kakashi began. “How could they harvest an Uchiha only a year ago? And Naruto is an Uzumaki as you thought, that cleansing happened during the last rebellion.”

The woman examined the boys. The Uchiha was, again, looking out the window, and the Uzumaki down at the floor. That meant the Uchiha was harvested as early as seven and the Uzumaki as an infant. She didn’t believe it, it was against the law, the very regulation the council had put into effect a little over a decade ago.

“The council would have never allowed that,” she stated in annoyance. “The laws and regulations are absolute, black and white, when it comes to those matters. We allow them as much freedom as we deem safe for our existence. We harvest to keep the clans small and still allow those who become harvested to live by serving the populace.” 

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed, “The council’s laws, that you seem to believe and cling to, only really apply in Empyrean territory. Once the Council’s men cross those borders they rarely do things according to the books. For example, as you can probably guess, I work in a compound that trains the harvested and we could kill them all if we wanted to with no repercussions only because our property is within Forsaken territory. And really, what do you think a cleansing is? How do you think they destroy clans? They just murder them off.”

“Well, yes,” the man stated, “but it is because the council received insight from the angels that they would soon try to spread darkness throughout the bloodlines, make us impure and demonic.”

“Do you really believe that? And even if you do, does that justify slaughtering an entire clan without question and then harvesting those leftover?” Sasuke spoke up.

“The council has only the purest bloodlines filling it, they know and see things that others can’t comprehend,” the woman said in defense. “We may not understand it, but they have good reason for the laws and policies they put in effect.”

“Well, if that is what you believe maybe these two are too young for the Tournaments, but then why would the all-knowing Council approve their participation?” Kakashi stated. “I mean, if everything is so black and white?”

The woman sat there more frustrated than ever. The laws were absolute, that is what she knew from her long life. The Forsaken had to be cut down to keep all life safe. The Tournaments were made to show the light always dominated the darkness. It was a celebration. If these kids died because that silver-haired man dared to sacrifice them so early, then so be it.

Naruto felt the train start to slow down with slight jerks as the brakes were applied. He looked around Sasuke to see out the window. The buildings outside were bigger than the only town they really knew. Tall, smooth, looming structures he wished he had the challenge of climbing passed by and then a barely audible announcement came over the hidden speakers.

Kakashi nodded in understanding and told the boys to pick up their things and be ready to exit the train. This station was going to be much harder to migrate through than the last. It was one of the larger Empyrean epicenters and Naruto and Sasuke were going to be oddities. Rarely did any Mephistophelian individuals get to enter this train station without search and seizure. They were already inside, their Tournament paperwork being their saving grace. 

“Wait, you are getting off here?” the man suddenly asked. “They have the appropriate visas?”

“If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have been issued their tickets,” Kakashi answered as the train came to a final stop, the people needing to depart from the car moving to the doors soon to open.

Sasuke and Naruto followed closely behind Kakashi as the couple watched them leave. The blond wondered if they were going to have similar conversations every time they traveled while the brunette hoped they didn’t. The one-eyed instructor thought the whole ordeal may have opened his students’ eyes to the state of the current world.

As soon as they were on the platform, Sasuke and Naruto were on alert. The amount of people was mindboggling. Kakashi headed to the area to get their extra luggage with the two youths on his heels. They each grabbed a trunk, with Kakashi getting the last. Their instructor waited a moment for foot traffic to slow before heading for the ticket counter. It pretty much went the same way as before except the clerk wanted to see every piece of paperwork about the Mephistophelian about to board a train.

“An Uchiha and a possessed Uzumaki, you must be out of your mind. How will you control them if they get out of hand?”

“They have the required seals on the back of their necks, I can easily subdue them although I have never had to. They are obedient, at least, obedient to me.”

“Well, all their paperwork checks out. I hope for all our safety they are as tame as you say.”

Kakashi lifted a brow, “I wouldn’t describe them as tame, but they will not be problem.”

“Here are your tickets. Train S303, it’s running ahead of schedule and should already be here. They will likely be ready to load your luggage.”

Kakashi nodded and turned away. Sasuke pointed to the train the man had mentioned and off they went. As they followed their silver-haired instructor both boys noticed the security cameras everywhere.

The compound had a few, but nothing this extensive. There were also uniformed workers everywhere and not many of them looked friendly. Naruto was tempted to pull his hood up but stopped himself as Sasuke ceased moving suddenly, watching a uniformed man grab a woman and demand to see her visas.

Naruto and Sasuke observed as the woman produced the paperwork and told him she was just following her master. She was his child’s nanny and needed to be by her always. Naruto then noticed a girl, no older than three clinging to her stocking-covered legs. The man huffed, handed back the papers, and told her to be on her way.

“Sasuke. Naruto. Let’s go get these things loaded,” Kakashi advised to get their attention. “Afterwards, we can grab something to eat from one of the vendors.”

They did as they were told and followed Kakashi to an area within the train station that housed multiple stores and booths. The lights from the stores started to turn on as the sunlight waned that was coming through the skylight a few stories up. Naruto could hear the buzzing of the neon lights on a few of the signs and Sasuke noticed that some sported signage that showed a dislike for anything Forsaken.

“I don’t see this being promising,” Sasuke commented. “Sir Kakashi, you might get to eat, but I doubt we will.”

Kakashi stopped in front of booth in the middle of the walkway. The woman inside opened a sliding window and looked him over. She noticed the other two with him when she leaned to the side.

“What can I get you?” she questioned as she motioned for someone behind her to come to the window.

“I need three burgers, please. One on the more rarer side,” Kakashi replied.

A tall, skinny man appeared in the window beside her and looked at Naruto and Sasuke with interest. He gestured for them to come closer and they did, but only a step. 

“What can those two do?” he finally asked. “I sense some interesting energy in them both.”

“Do you?” the instructor asked back in feigned interest. “They can do plenty. Anyway, how much for those three orders?”

“Twelve,” the woman answered and took the money offered. “Who wants the medium rare burger?”

“The possessed, obviously,” the man quickly answered. “He is barely more than a wild animal.”

Naruto smirked at the comment, “Can I just have cheese on it, please?”

“And I would like an extra slice of tomato,” Sasuke spoke up.

“And I would like mine with everything,” Kakashi finished. 

The woman rolled her eyes as the man began putting the orders together. Sasuke and Naruto found a bench to sit on and Kakashi leaned against the booth. The first two burgers came out quickly which Kakashi expected. He knew they wouldn’t take any care with his students’ food. He handed them off and told the two to check them over. He heard Naruto snort and Sasuke’s annoyed sigh.

“Hey, bastard, want my tomatoes? They are separated from the raw patty by a slice of lettuce and absolutely no cheese,” Naruto snickered.

“You have got to be kidding me. Fine, I’ll take them. Maybe they will cover the taste of burnt beef,” Sasuke said in vexation.

“You want to just cook mine up and I’ll eat the burnt one?” Naruto asked.

“No, the blood is already soaking into the bottom half of the bun.”

“Sir Kakashi, can I eat this as is?” Naruto asked hopeful. “Please?”

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed, “Keep your hood up until your finished, and Sasuke, do you want mine?”

“No, I’m fine. It doesn’t taste as bad as I thought it would,” Sasuke answered after a bite. “The tomatoes are helping.”

The thin man appeared in the window to hand Kakashi his burger when he noticed the blonde pull his hood over his head while the burger sat on his lap. The brunette was already eating his but seemed to have taken the tomatoes he had slapped on the raw one.

“Aw, they are good at sharing,” the man mocked and then grimaced as the blond took a huge bite of raw beef. “What the hell?”

“Hmm,” Kakashi said around a mouth full of burger and then turned his head to look back at Naruto who was cleaning his gloved fingers of any leftover remnants.

“Isn’t he going to get sick?”

Kakashi swallowed and answered, “No, he actually enjoys completely raw protein. You just made his whole day.” Kakashi watched the man’s face turn into one of disgust, “Hey, Naruto.”

Naruto’s head whipped up, his eyes quickly changing from red to blue as he removed his hood to look at Kakashi, “Yes?”

The man in the window behind Kakashi gasped, “What the hell was that? His eyes were different for a second.”

“Are you and Sasuke ready to go?” Kakashi asked Naruto, smirking at the man’s surprise.

“Uh, yeah, I think so,” Naruto answered. “But, then again, the bastard might be too good for another train ride,” he taunted his friend.

“Idiot, when did I ever say I was too good for the train?” Sasuke demanded.

“Let’s go,” Kakashi ordered as he walked over to a trash can, depositing the wrapping the burger had been in. “We might as well wait near the train in case something changes.”

They made their way back and sat on the edge of a large, lit up fountain near their platform. Kakashi took out his book to read the next few pages while his trainees took in the environment some more. They were amazed at how much of the Sanctified world was so impractical. 

The fountain they sat on was lit up in a way that the lights’ colors ebbed and flowed much like the water itself. The bottom of it was covered in coins of all amounts that people threw in on a whim, wishing for things they probably already had. There were a few children splashing and playing in the water as adults watched. This water was purely for decoration, in was not there to drink or to clean oneself, just to look pretty.

It was an insane thought when Sasuke and Naruto knew what thirst was like. During training, food and water would be withheld to see how long they could last or how well they could find it for themselves. It was also used as a form of discipline. Naruto wasn’t allowed food or water for two days after stealing from the delivery truck, along with the beating. It was compound regulation. 

Sasuke nudged Naruto and jerked his head in the direction he wished Naruto to look. There stood the woman they had seen earlier getting harassed by a clerk in uniform. The small girl still clung to her legs but the man next to her seemed ridiculously displeased. Her eyes were turned down and her black, gloved hands were trying to comfort the small child as the man harshly grumbled loud enough to make her flinch.

“Guys, it’s time to board,” Kakashi announced as he stood. “We will be in the last group, but we might as well get in line.”

Naruto and Sasuke stood and followed their overseer. Both put their hoods up, the crowd made them nervous as well as the cameras and other security precautions. Kakashi handed them their tickets and paperwork with the instructions to keep them in their possession at all times. If someone asked to see them, they were to make sure they were handed back to them immediately afterward. They nodded their understanding.

Thankfully, boarding the train offered no uncomfortable encounters. That was until the three people that came to sit across from them. An angry Empyrean, his small daughter, and his girl’s Mephistophelian nanny. The man glared at the three across from him and then turned his glaze to his enslaved help.

“See, because of you I get stuck with more of your kind. My wife only wanted me to buy you so I wouldn’t cheat on her with the nanny. She knew I would never touch your disgusting filth.” He then looked at Kakashi who was coolly watching him, “How much trouble do two of them give you? She’s enough all by herself.”

Kakashi turned his head and looked at the two sitting next to him, their hoods still over their heads, “Them? They’re teenagers, so the amount I’d expect but nothing too horrible.”

The man grunted in annoyance, “I am Niran and you are?”

“Kakashi,” he answered and then added, “These two are Naruto and Sasuke.”

“Why do they have their hoods up? It’s not like they can hide what they are. Their demon blood smells as bad as hers does,” he almost growled as he looked at the Forsaken woman beside him. “I have no idea why Miya likes her so much.”

Sasuke pulled his hood down and glared at the man through his long, black bangs. He wanted to tell him the girl liked her nanny because she wasn’t a self-righteous prick. The woman seemed to genuinely care for the girl, even with all the insults being thrown at her. She smiled at the her when she begged her to color. The Uchiha watched as the woman pulled out some paper and crayons for Miya to use. She quickly pulled the toddler’s hair into a small ponytail to keep in out of her face as she happily scribbled away, it just made him angrier.

Naruto noticed Sasuke remove his hood but had a feeling taking his off would be a bad move right now. He turned to look at Kakashi and wasn’t surprised by the hint of a scowl on the man’s face. This was going to be one interesting ride. As he continued to think, he realized he had yet to learn the woman’s name.

“So, what’s your name?” Naruto asked without thinking, pointing to the woman complimenting the toddler’s pink swirls.

She looked up at the blond and then to her master. He watched her with a frown on his face and then nodded, giving her permission. She sat up and straightened the plain black dress she wore, placing a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear before speaking.

“Tenshi,” she said in a clear voice.

“Nice to meet you, Tenshi,” Sasuke returned. “How old is Miya?”

“She just turned three,” she managed to answer before Niran got annoyed.

“You are not here to make conversation, you are here to keep her happy and taken care of. I still hate your name, you are far from an angel,” he angrily interrupted.

“She was just answering our questions,” Naruto stated in her defense. “We didn’t know it was against your orders.”

“I don’t understand why you two are permitted to talk so freely. Your overseer, Kakashi, was it, seems to think you are owed more freedom then I would ever allow,” he snapped back. “And why do you still have that thing on!” he demanded, lurching towards Naruto to grab his hood.

Kakashi’s hand grabbed the man’s wrist as he stood between him and his trainee. He had heard enough and could see how uncomfortable the woman and child were becoming. This train ride was at least three hours long and there would have to be some ground rules set between themselves.

“You don’t touch him. He is my property and I allow him and his comrade certain freedoms because they have proven themselves responsible enough to handle them. I suggest you sit down, the train is about to begin moving.”

The man yanked his wrist away and sat down with a look meant to kill the silver-haired man across from him. Kakashi returned to his seat, crossing his arms and then turned his head to see the girl suddenly looking at Naruto with interest. Tenshi giggled as the Miya whispered something in her ear. She turned to see her master still glaring at Kakashi and brought out a pair of small, white gloves for Miya.

“There you go,” the caregiver said softly as she helped her put them on. “Go ahead, ask him. I don’t think he’ll care.”

Miya turned around opening and closing her hands and smiling at the white gloves. She then looked at Naruto with bright green eyes and pointed to her face. 

“You have ‘skers!” she giggled. “Can Miya touch?”

Naruto looked at the girl and then at Niran who was now preoccupied by some electronic device the boy had never seen before. Naruto nodded trying not to call any attention to Miya as she tottered over against the movement of the train. Naruto steadied her as she reached his side. He leaned down, so his face was easy for her to reach.

Sasuke kept his eyes on the man and Kakashi seemed to be doing the same thing. He also noticed Naruto was careful not to alarm the girl or her nanny. The brunette was all for keeping the kid happy, she had nothing against them. If anything, this might help her not to build such a strong prejudice against their kind.

“Eyes so blue,” she quietly giggled before she reached out with her gloved hands. “Kitty-cat?” she asked.

“No,” he whispered. “Do you know what a fox is?”

“Oo! Fox!” she said in awe. “Good fox,” she continued as she traced his scars.

Naruto watched the girl in fascination. He remembered being small, not this small, but small enough. It was interesting to see it all happening from the outside. Tenshi kneeled behind Miya to help hold her steady as the train picked up more speed. The blond watched as her eyes shifted to take a quick glance at her master and then she asked a quiet question.

“Did those hurt, your scars? Were they punishment?” she whispered.

“They burned, I guess, but no, they weren’t punishment,” Naruto answered as the girl was now running her tiny hands through his blond hair. He pushed his hood down to give Miya better access when he heard Tenshi’s breath hitch.

“I understand,” she whispered and then looked back at her master before reaching out and carefully pulling his hood back up. “Don’t let him know what you are.”

“What do you think he is?” it was Sasuke who asked the question almost inaudibly. “She just thinks he is a fox,” he said as he pointed to the girl who was now reaching for him.

Tenshi shifted over to guide Miya over to the brunette she was now curious in, “Well, he is possessed.”

Sasuke leaned down to let the girl playfully bat at his bangs, “Do you think he is a threat to you?”

“No. I can perceive when something or someone has malice or any cruel intent. It is why I was trained as a caregiver. I may not be powerful, but I know when to stay away from a situation. Although, that doesn’t mean everyone listens.” The last part came out with a hint of loathing. 

Miya’s gloved hands were now on Sasuke’s face. “Black eyes,” she declared. “Like hair!”

“Yes, they aren’t always black though.”

“Miya’s eyes always green.”

The Uchiha chuckled at that, “Green is a nice color.”

“Miya likes pink, and red, and ‘ellow.”

“Red is a nice color, too.” he agreed letting his eyes flash for a second.

Her eyes widened, and her little hands went to her mouth. She turned, looked back at her nanny and then giggled. She turned to look at Naruto who’d been watching the entire exchange and pointed.

“Your eyes always blue?” she said in a slight questioning manner.

“Who knows,” Naruto said before his own eyes shifted for a moment.

She squeaked and looked at them both and then happily squealed, “Magic!”

Tenshi hadn’t noticed Naruto, her eyes were glued on Sasuke, “An Uchiha.” It came out as a barely audible whisper. 

Sasuke nodded as he leaned back into his seat, Miya seemed to be done with her exploration and was rubbing her eyes. The sky was almost fully black except for the bit of twilight along the horizon as she slowly climbed into Tenshi’s arms and laid her head on her shoulder. The woman stood and backed up until she sat carefully into her seat. The little girl played with her caregiver’s hair until her eyes slipped closed.

Kakashi had observed it all with much interest. He knew the boys would have nothing against Miya in the least. They were never aggressive to anyone or anything without reason. They had handled themselves well, better than the ass wipe of a man across from him. Thankfully, the cell phone easily distracted Niran, and he never noticed his daughter’s interest in the two of them.

Kakashi turned to Naruto who was watching Miya sleep on Tenshi, “What are you thinking about?”

Naruto looked down and then up to Kakashi, slipping his gloved hand into his hood to scratch the back of his neck, “Just mom, I guess. I just wonder what kind of mother she would have been.”

“That’s simple,” Sasuke answered as he leaned against the window with his eyes closed. “She would have been overly protective and emotional, but the best mother for you. You can tell that by what we’ve read.”

Kakashi nodded in agreement, “That she would have. Speaking of what you read, did you bring that?”

“Yes,” Naruto answered, “just in case I finally decide to read the last bit of it.”

“Well, you can’t really do that on the train, but at the inn it should be fine.”

Naruto nodded and then leaned back staring at the ceiling, “We still have hours on this thing to go, don’t we? Will we still be in Empyrean territory?”

“Yes, but on the edge of it so the city there is a bit more interesting,” Kakashi commented. “For one, you two will actually be able to shop, not just me. It’s one of those gray areas where, if they want to make enough money to keep their businesses afloat, they have to serve all kinds of people.”

“What would we even shop for? We have no money,” Sasuke argued.

“Technically you don’t have any right now, but there are cash prizes in the Tournaments. All the money is supposed to go to whatever compound the trainees came from, but Yamato agreed to share,” Kakashi began. “And, he also gave me a little of an advance for you two. He wants to make sure you have clothing you are comfortable in and gear suitable for you. We are expecting you both to do well.”

“So, that’s what they are trained for, is it?” Niran unexpectedly spouted as he put his cell phone down. “There are demon-blooded, killing machines sitting across from my daughter and I, is that what you are saying?”

Kakashi sat, eyeing the man without answering. The real answer was that’s half of what they had been training to do. The other half would be protecting others, but this bigotry man wouldn’t understand that. Kakashi sat and waited for the man’s next move when Miya whispered something as her eyes fluttered open.

“’Skers?”

“What did she just say?” Niran asked Tenshi.

“I believe she is trying to say ‘whiskers’,” she answered him as she held the girl rubbing her eyes.

“Whiskers?”

“She noticed the scars on his face, and thought he looked like a cat,” Tenshi nodded towards Naruto and explained as Miya turned in her arms and reached for him.

“Did you touch her?” Niran rumbled. “Did either of you touch her?”

“No, they are wearing gloves according to law,” Kakashi answered. “She did wander over to them in curiosity, but Tenshi made sure nothing happened.”

“You let her near them!?” his voice raged.

“They are no threat, I would know, sir. I-” Tenshi began but was cut off by the man activating the seal on her neck. She dropped Miya as every nerve down her spine burned with pain causing her body to jerk uncontrollably. 

Naruto and Sasuke both moved forward to make sure the girl didn’t fall to the floor. She clung to either of their arms with a look of fright coloring her face. She then looked back at her caregiver and tears began to fall as her expression twisted into concern. 

“Shi!” Miya cried, “Shi, ok? Shi!”

“She’ll be ok,” Naruto tried to reassure her.

Sasuke activated his sight to watch Tenshi’s system recover, which did not go unnoticed.

“Look Miya, she’s feeling better,” he pointed.

Tenshi slowly sat back up from her slumped position, her eyes watering and shakily held out her arms, “It’s ok, Miya. I’m fine. Come here.”

The little girl walked over to her and climbed back into her lap. Her caregiver nodding a small thank you before she continued consoling her.

“A fuckin’ Uchiha? You have got to be kidding me. Now I know what he is, but that blond one. What’s his story?” Niran began to ramble. “Scars on his cheeks, his scent is odd, blue eyes, blond hair, what is he? And you let that thing activate his sight, why?”

“You are truly some sort of idiot, aren’t you?” Kakashi said without a second thought. “You punish your nanny for letting your daughter near them but don’t seem to care if you cause her to drop your child. Then you lose it at the sight of an ability that wasn’t even used in any aggressive manner,” he continued glaring at the man and then turned to look at Sasuke. “He was checking her energy cycle, making sure it recovered from your punishment properly. His sight allows him to do so.”

Niran narrowed his glare at the Uchiha who still had his scarlet eyes locked on Tenshi even though he was now sitting back in his seat. The blond whispered a few things to him and the dark-haired boy nodded in response.

“You know, she is going to be weak now for a few hours at least,” the demon-eyed boy spoke up. “You overdid it. She has been using her ability all day to make sure your daughter was in a shroud of safety this whole time and then you hit her system with that. You have made it exceptionally harder for her to do what she was meant to because you can’t handle the thought of a child being a little curious.”

“She is to do her job no matter what state she is in. She caused that to happen by letting my daughter be near either of you,” Niran angrily responded.

“Your daughter wasn’t harmed in any way. You punished her for something that you thought might happen that didn’t,” Sasuke responded as his eyes slowly faded back to black. “I don’t understand how she caused her punishment.”

“Well, aren’t you a mouthy one?” the man replied. “And your overseer allows that? I bet you’ve never faced a real punishment in your life.”

“You’d be surprised,” Sasuke coolly responded.

“Sasuke, don’t say anymore,” Kakashi warned. “I doubt he’d listen anyway.”

Naruto sat still, in between the exchange, his hands flexing in and out of fists. He was trying to go unnoticed currently, the man was already riled up as it was, he didn’t need another reason to get angrier. The blond watched Miya, she looked worried and uncomfortable even in Tenshi’s gentle embrace. He wanted to say something to her, anything to help her relax, but knew it would be in vain. He didn’t want to cause Tenshi anymore pain.

Niran went to hit Kakashi abruptly and Naruto moved. He placed himself between the two of them, one hand on the man’s fist and the other ready to catch the second punch, if need be. Sasuke was behind him, ready to do whatever was necessary. The man looked stunned at the thought a teenager could stop him.

Kakashi tapped Naruto on the shoulder signaling him release his stance, which he did slowly. Sasuke followed, but they both kept their eyes on the man.

“As you stated earlier, they are trained ‘killing machines’, but they are also trained to protect the person they are sealed to which would be me,” Kakashi educated the impulsive man. “I don’t know what you expected to come of that, especially since we are in a small train car moving at a high rate of speed, but you wouldn’t have accomplished much.”

The man hissed a few curses between clenched teeth before returning to his seat. He then went to backhand Tenshi in his frustration when Sasuke stopped that move.

“Don’t. Your daughter has seen enough already, she doesn’t need to experience that,” he advised as Miya hid her face in Tenshi’s chest. “You can hate our kind all you want, but she doesn’t need to see it.”

Niran looked at his terrified daughter and then looked down in thought. He slowly lowered his hand and sat back with his arms crossed.

“Only for her,” he stated looking back to Miya. 

Sasuke sat back down and watched Tenshi reassure Miya with kind, gentle words until the girl fell back to sleep. He wondered what sort of training and punishments that woman had been through. Had it been like the labor camp? Back breaking chores and classes? It would make sense, break her spirit until she was willing to care for anyone given to her.

After assuring himself everything was calm, Naruto tried to fall asleep but instead ended up in the mindscape. He sat on the floor in front of the bars just thinking everything through. The Fox came to the front of his cage and watched him, his head on his fore-paws. Before long, Naruto was rubbing his temples in irritation.

_“It bothers you more, doesn’t it? Seeing others face the same pain as you?”_ The Fox asked already knowing the answer. _“Kakashi could do the same thing to you, you have experienced it before.”_

“That time was because I was stupid and tried to get around obeying him. He only used the seal to show me what it could do after I asked for it instead of regular punishment.”

_“That is true. You trying to use a copy to take your place in class. It was kind of brilliant until some idiot threw something at it, making it disperse.”_

“Yeah, I am glad Sasuke didn’t get in trouble too. He didn’t have any idea about it.”

_“So, what really brought you here?”_

“We need to talk about some stuff before I finish the journal.”

Kakashi had been observing the three across from him for a long while, all had fallen asleep, before he realized Naruto hadn’t. His hood was pulled over his eyes, but they weren’t closed. He was doing that here? Now? He leaned over and looked around to Sasuke, who was staring at Naruto and then his eyes flitted to Kakashi’s with knowing. 

Naruto suddenly bolted forward, so his elbows were on his knees and his hands raking through his hair pushing his hood off. He clasped his hands behind his head and was taking staggered breaths. Sasuke leaned forward to get a better look at him.

“Shit, Naruto, what the hell is going on?” he asked when his saw Naruto wide scarlet eyes.

“Just give me a minute or two. I promise, I’ll calm down,” Naruto answered quietly with his low demon echo. “Things got a little complicated in there.”

“Complicated?” Kakashi asked.

“I just, I asked to see as many of my mom’s memories as possible before she died. The Fox didn’t want me to but finally gave in,” the blonde whispered and ran his tongue along his teeth still feeling their sharp points. “I just wanted to know what could be in the last few pages of the journal.”

“You thought that was a good idea to do here?” Sasuke reprimanded quietly. “You know that causes this to happen to you.”

Naruto huffed and then turned his head slightly to the side to glare at the Uchiha, “I do know, now shut the fuck up so I can calm down,” Naruto snapped.

Sasuke gave his idiotic friend a glare of his own before sitting back, "Sir Kakashi, how much longer until we reach our next stop?”

“Maybe an hour? There will be someone there to meet us,” Kakashi answered still keeping his eye on Naruto. 

“Someone meeting us, why?” Sasuke questioned as he watched Naruto pull his hood back over his head.

“They are the owners of the inn we will be staying in and are interested in you two,” was Kakashi’s reply as he leaned down and patted Naruto on the back. “Feeling any better, yet?”

The one in question slowly sat up, his eyes were red but he was calm, “Yeah, sorry about that.” He took one more deep breath, closing his eyes and when he opened them again they were back to blue, “So they know about both of us then?”

“Choji has told them quite a bit and Yamato also informed them. They probably know more then you’d expect,” Kakashi explained. “Choji is friends with the owner’s son. He used to live all the way out here but Choza wanted to see if his barbeque would be a hit elsewhere.”

Sasuke nodded his head and Naruto sighed. They looked to the three sleeping across from them and then out into the aisle. Naruto felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Sasuke holding out his right hand with a small flame in the middle.

“Elemental exercises?” he offered.

“Why not,” the blond answered holding his right hand over it, adding a touch of wind to begin it swirling. 

Sasuke would add a bit more fire and Naruto more wind until they had a small orb of swirling inferno. 

“Practice lightning with water now,” Kakashi instructed. “You can’t make that any larger in here or people will notice.”

Naruto removed his right hand, bringing his left hand under Sasuke’s and extinguished the orb with a small whirlpool of water. Sasuke removed his right hand and brought his left hand over it, snapping his fingers to cause a current of electricity through to vortex. It followed the same pattern as their last exercise until a set of green yes appeared at Sasuke’s knee, staring at it.

“Pretty,” Miya said with awe. 

She began to reach up to touch it when Tenshi caught her hand, “Don’t touch. It can hurt you even though it’s pretty,” the caregiver warned. “Could you two lower it for her so she can see it better?”

Sasuke and Naruto followed her instructions and watched a fascinated Miya try to figure out what it was. Sasuke slowly pulled his hand away showing the lightning sparking off his finger tips while Naruto flattened his hand to show the layer of water swirling above it. Then both elements disappeared as Naruto heard, and Sasuke saw, Niran shift in his seat.

As Niran opened his eyes, Tenshi and Miya were sitting back in their seat. He looked around and then informed the nanny he was headed to the restroom and that she was to wait there with his daughter.

She communicated her understanding and then watched him leave.

A static-ridden announcement came over the speaker system a few minutes later. The train was still running ahead of schedule, they were going to arrive fifteen minutes early. Naruto and Sasuke began to collect their bags from under their seats as Kakashi collected his own. Niran returned as Tenshi finished putting away the crayons and paper. 

“Still have that hood up do you?” he questioned Naruto. “Do you have other scars to match those on your face or is it just a bit too nippy in here for you?”

Naruto shrugged and looked at the window as the trained slowed. It was too dark to really notice much but the lights that glittered across the landscape were a welcomed sight. He hoped the inn they were staying inn wasn’t too far away. He didn’t feel like dragging Kakashi’s trunks through a train station and then through town. He sighed as he heard the last few hisses and clicks of the trains brakes before it came to a stop.

Sasuke turned to wait for Kakashi’s orders. He wondered about the people they were meeting here. Maybe they were from one of the other families that the Akimichi’s had mentioned. It would make sense. Hopefully they were as friendly as Choza and Choji unlike the prick of a man who seemed to think he was a gift to the planet.

“Come on, let’s go. I have a feeling the Naras are already waiting outside,” Kakashi announced. “Naruto take your hood off when we exit the train, they already know.”

Sasuke and Naruto followed their overseer and as soon as Naruto felt the night air he pulled down his hood. It was warmer here, the air smelling of a coming storm. He watched Sasuke’s hand spark seeming the test that theory.

“A storm is on its way, we better get the trunks and find them,” Sasuke declared watching how the lightning arched off his palm.

“Well, come on then. The baggage car is this way,” Kakashi replied as he led them to where a group of people were already gathered.

Sasuke watched as some became impatient while others just dived in and grabbed their bags as soon as they became visible. He was glad Kakashi stayed on the edge of it all, patiently waiting. He would rather get a little wet from rain than deal with more people today. A man approached Kakashi from behind and tapped his shoulder. Sasuke figured he was one of the people they were to meet.

“Kakashi, I am glad you got here before to storm hit. It’s supposed to be a long one from the looks of it,” the man with dark hair, pulled into a high, spikey mess of a pony tail spoke as he scratched the small patch of beard on his chin. Two scars arched from the top and bottom of his ear, over his face, one ending just below the inside corner of his eye and the other almost at the middle of his forehead. 

“I do seem to be great at timing things, don’t you think?” Kakashi replied and then turned to Naruto and Sasuke. “These are the two you should already know quite a bit about.”

“The Uchiha and the Uzumaki. My name is Shikaku, and my son, Shikamaru, will be joining us shortly. Welcome to Cernunnos.”

“Thank you,” Sasuke and Naruto said in unison before they noticed Kakashi’s trunks being pulled out of the train car. They both grabbed a trunk while Shikaku grabbed the third.

They walked through the city as thunder began to rumble in the distance. Kakashi was speaking with Shikaku about their sleeping arrangements and Sasuke and Naruto were observing the area. It was a totally different world than the purely Empyrean places they had been.

The structures weren’t sleek and smooth but had a sort of roughness to them. They were built with rough stone or wood and had rooves that looked to be built for more than just sloshing water away. Many buildings had their windows open, the occupants waving at people they knew as they walked by. No one glared or even commented on Sasuke or Naruto’s presence until the blond got nudge in the shoulder.

“I am guessing you’re the one who can look pretty scary, well, according to Choji,” a boy his age, who looked a lot like Shikaku without the scars and beard, began. “The fox?”

Naruto smiled, “Yeah, that’s me. So, you know Choji?”

“Yeah, we’re really good friends. My name is Shikamaru and you are Naruto then?”

“Yup, and that mean looking bastard is Sasuke,” Naruto answered, jerking his head in his friend’s direction.

Sasuke looked at Shikamaru with a serious expression, “You are totally welcome to call him ‘the idiot’, I do.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed at that, “I am not always an idiot, ya know?”

“You probably are,” Shikamaru stated. 

Sasuke snickered at that and Naruto stopped moving and just stared at the new kid in the group, “Hey! What makes you say that! You just met me!”

“It’s a hunch,” Skikamaru said with a grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll be in the smart, lazy one in the group. He can be the brooding, quiet one,” he said pointing to Sasuke, “and you are the loudmouthed idiot.”

“HEY! What a minute! Come on!”

“Anyway,” the boy with the short ponytail interrupted, “when we get to the inn, are you guys going to want something to eat? I know it’s late, but I doubt you were fed well at the last station.”

“We had burgers. Mine was burnt, Naruto’s was raw, and Kakashi’s was just right,” Sasuke reported. “We were the messed-up version of the three little bears.”

“That sounds as well as I expected. I will let my father know if Kakashi hasn’t already.”

They continued their walk for a several more minutes, conversing amongst themselves, before Shikamaru pointed out the inn. It was on the edge of a forest, most of it covered by very large trees. Naruto heard the thunder growing louder, animals moving around among the trees, and caught a few glimpses of eyes.

Sasuke and Naruto had to share a room, but it wasn’t disappointing. The beds were larger than what they were used to, and the linens were soft and comfortable. They were shown how to work the TV, they had never seen one before, and how to call the front desk if they needed anything. They were also told they weren’t expected to act any different than anyone else, they were their guests.

As soon as the three boys joined Kakashi and Shikaku the storm hit. The rain was coming down in sheets and the lightning was putting on quite a show. Naruto covered his ears from a particularly loud clash of thunder, having sensitive hearing was not in his favor right now.

“Sorry, Naruto. It’s rainy season here right now. You may have to get used to that,” Kakashi commented watching him flinch again at another loud boom.

“Are for staying here for a while?” Sasuke asked.

“For a few weeks,” Kakashi answered. “You’ll be training with Shikamaru and Ino when she gets here. Their abilities are quite different than others you’ve experienced. It’s sad Choji couldn’t come. Having the three of them here would have been the ultimate challenge.”

“Maybe next time,” Shikaku commented before a small bell rang. “Looks like your meal is ready.”

Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi sat down to a traditional Nara meal. Rabbit stew, some fresh bread, and salad. None of them complained and Shikamaru and Shikaku joined them, letting them know which shops would serve them well and what ones would try to charge them more. They were told the forest was free reign as long as they didn’t hurt the deer.

“The deer?” Naruto asked.

“They are actually why we are here,” Shikaku began. “They are the all-seeing eyes of the forest and said to be guardians of the afterlife. They will bring you wealth if you let them live but bring you agony and death if you even harm one. Our family was charged with their care.”

“If that is all true, that is a big job,” Sasuke commented as he held a spoon of stew in front of him, waiting for it to cool.

“It’s not so bad. We have a connection with them, they let us know what they need,” Shikamaru explained. “People are more of a drag, they are so complicated.”

Naruto skipped the salad, ate the bread, and was starting on his stew when Shikamaru stood up and walked to the kitchen. Kakashi watched while Naruto was oblivious, enjoying his food. The Overseer then chuckled when the boy walked in with two plates and a smirk on his face.

He walked over to Sasuke and lowered a plate of sliced tomatoes to the table, “This is from Choji, he said you would like it.”

Sasuke tilted his head at the tomatoes, and then looked at the salad and stew. He began cutting them up, adding them to his food after thanking Shikamaru for them. 

He then approached Naruto, “And he said you would like this.”

Naruto's eyes went wide when a raw pork chop was placed before him. He looked at Kakashi and then at Shikamaru. 

“Did he tell why I like that?” Naruto asked.

“He told me to wait and see what happens,” the boy answered pulling out the empty chair next to Naruto. “It made me curious. He said I will know why he called you a fox,” he finished as he sat down.

“He is not a fox, exactly,” Sasuke spoke up. “The other part of him is The Fox.”

The boy sitting next to Naruto raised an eyebrow and then turned back to Naruto, “So, are you going to eat it?”

“Kakashi?” Naruto asked after taking another bite of stew.

“You’ve already done it once today, go ahead. He asked for it,” the gray-haired instructor answered. 

Shikimaru showed a bit of surprise when, with the next blink, Naruto’s eyes were blazing red and his teeth morphed into a cage of sharp spikes. He watched as the scars morphed and, when the blond dropped his spoon into his almost empty bowl of stew, the claws grow out of the slits in the fingertips of his gloves. 

“What the hell?” he mumbled.

“He’s from Hell, actually, The Fox,” Naruto replied before he reached for the pork chop. “He likes raw meat and blood although, I rarely get to give him the second one.”

“Your voice is even different,” Shikamaru commented before watching his fangs rip through the meat like a hot knife slicing through butter.

“Yeah, it happens. It sounds like his voice now,” Naruto said around the bite. 

“Does that form feel normal to you? Are you comfortable like that?” Shikaku asked curious.

Naruto froze midbite and then pulled his mouth away, “It feels more normal every time. I have fallen asleep like this and woke up without a shift happening.”

“When?” it was Kakashi who asked.

“When he has his nightmares,” Sasuke answered. “He wakes up like that, reads the journal for a while, and falls back to sleep not really noticing he is still in that state.”

“Interesting, does The Fox say anything about it?” Kakashi continued his questions.

“He says that we just harmonize well, as usual. He does want me to get stronger without him though, so I can handle more,” he answered before finishing off the bite that was interrupted.

“More what?” Kakashi was now leaning over the table, he eye narrowed at Naruto. “What do you need to be able to handle more of?”

“You know, what we spoke about in the van that first night. It’s loosening. I can do more now, you know.”

“What’s loosening?” Shikaku asked.

“Sasuke, have you seen it?” Kakashi asked and the Uchiha’s eyes turned red immediately as he looked at Naruto.

“Yeah, I am wondering if the tournaments will break part of it open if he doesn’t find a way to open it himself. His shifts are faster now, almost instantaneous.” 

“Shikaku, the seal. The seal that holds that inside of him,” Kakashi finally answered the man, pointing to Naruto’s current state. “That is the Nine-Tailed Fox.” 

“Holy shit,” both Naras said in unison.


	12. Bitter Secrets

Naruto sat in a state of shock with Kakashi pointing at him. Did he just announce what he thought he did? Why here, why now, why to them? He swallowed hard and then stood up quickly knocking the chair over. His mind was racing a mile a minute. One of his mother’s memories filling it as she yelled for mercy, for him. He backed up until he felt a wall collide with his back.

“I need,” he swallowed hard, “I need to get out of here.”

Naruto saw the flash of lighting through the window on the wall behind him, he heard the thunder, and stared at the pane of glass covered in water. In a swift move, he opened it and threw himself outside. He heard their yelling, he heard them try to call him back, but she hadn’t been able to run and she was dead. His dad was dead. He didn’t want to die.

“Shit! Don’t you think you should have let him know you were going to announce that!?” Sasuke roared as he stood up slamming his hands on the table. “He doesn’t know them, he doesn’t know what they’ll do!”

“I know them, Sasuke,” Kakashi scowled back. “Calm down right now.”

Sasuke sat down, his arms crossed and his eyes blazing. He knew Naruto would come back eventually but this was not going to help anything. Naruto had just seen his mother’s last memories that The Fox could recall. Who knows what those were filled with.

Shikamaru sat in thought. He knew plenty about demons, he knew they were worth the study when he felt like reading. Angels were pretty boring in his opinion, even if he was supposedly related to them. The Nine-Tailed Fox, said to be the most powerful out of the strongest known to exist, that thing was locked inside of that goofy, blond-haired kid. He got up and walked over to the window letting out a low whistle.

“Kakashi, you can’t be serious,” Shikaku said calmly. “Why is it locked inside of him and who would do that?”

“His father sealed The Fox inside of him. His mother was its last holder,” was Kakashi’s answer.

Shikaku nodded and Kakashi knew the man didn’t need to know much more information. He was more than intelligent, sometimes to the point he could find a solution to something that hadn’t even happened yet. A deer came to the window where Shikamaru stood and the boy pet the deer while asking a few simple questions.

“Naruto is fine. He went south where the forest gets thick. He should be able to find somewhere to stay dry,” the boy said as he dismissed the deer after feeding it a small sugar cube.

“You can talk to them?” Sasuke asked. 

“Yeah,” Shikamaru answered as he rubbed his temples. “Something is bothering me though. That deer doesn’t want Naruto to leave the forest, it said they will protect him if they need to.”

Shikaku turned his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked at his son, “What, what does that even mean? They watch everything, they don’t protect anything, well, not until now.”

***

Naruto stopped when the trees got so thick he couldn’t see any of the lights from the city. He knew he was panicking about something that happened thirteen years ago but the words Kakashi had spoken made the memory hit him like a tsunami. He wasn’t just seeing it, he was feeling it.

There were soldiers outside being led by someone pointing at the house, declaring that his mother was The Nine-Tailed Fox. They had barged in, her barely being able to stand after giving birth not an hour or so before. She begged them to leave her alone, telling them she wasn’t what they thought she was. She tried to access the demon power inside herself, but the seal had been weakened from childbirth making the power hard for her body to handle.

That’s when she had grown even more frightened. A man pushed himself to the front of the group and wore a smile that was anything but friendly.

“It’s sealed inside of her. I can break it, it seems to be weakened anyway.”

Naruto felt the man grab her neck, slamming her against the table behind her. He felt the icy burn from his hand that pumped white-hot energy into the seal, tearing it apart. Naruto cried out the same way his mom had, he could feel all of it. He felt The Fox getting ripped out of her and felt himself fall to the forest floor like his mom had fallen on the worn-out rug.

That didn’t satisfy them though, especially when The Fox appeared crouching over her, snarling, destroying the building that had been Kushina’s home except what was immediately around her. He knew she would die, there was no saving her. Her body had been through more than it could handle, especially after the earth-wielding murderer made a rod of stone pierce through where the seal had been.

Naruto howled out again in pain, feeling it, and clung to the moss-covered dirt with one clawed hand while to other grabbed where the rod should be. Then he heard him through The Fox’s ears, heard his dad yelling for Kushina and then the screaming of those soldiers as the blond-haired man sliced them to pieces in seconds. His dad had crawled under towering Fox, hands hovering over his wife.

“Why did I leave, why? She had just given birth and- Wait! Where is Naruto?” Minato rambled and screamed.

“He’s under there,” Kushina’s weak voice answered as she pointed with a bloodied hand. “They didn’t touch him, I promise.”

He pulled the baby out from the cocoon of blankets that had hidden him, “Kushina, I didn’t want them to touch either of you. I shouldn’t have left.”

“You thought we were safe, you were checking the perimeter. It’s not your fault. Someone, someone led them here,” she had said trying to calm him down. 

“I need to seal The Fox back inside of you, you’ll be ok.”

_“You can’t,”_ The Fox had answered overhead. _“She is too weak to survive the sealing process and I can’t heal her from out here. You need to seal me in your son.”_

“No, we can’t. Minato will die in the possess, Naruto will be alone,” Kushina feebly argued, tears filling her eyes.

_“He will die otherwise. I can keep him alive until someone finds him. He will have me.”_

Minato had understood and reached around to the cabinet beside the table, grabbing a book that had been left open. He ripped out a page and scribbled something on it. He then produced something out of a small pack he wore on his hip, placing his palm on it and closing it within an envelope. He shoved it quickly into the leather volume as he scribbled something across a page and sealing it shut.

The Fox had watched as he placed the infant on a bed of blankets, after wrapping him in the red one Kushina had been clinging to, tucking the ripped piece of paper into its folds. His hands began to glow with a greenish-blue light over his son and he looked up at The Fox.

“Are you ready? Please, take care of him,” Minato spoke as screaming was heard in the distance. 

More soldiers were coming, they must have felt the demon energy while cleansing the main part of the settlement. They were now hunting down anyone in the outskirts.

_“Do it now, they won’t find this place once I am sealed.”_

His father had spoken the words, given up his life, and sealed The Fox within his son. Naruto felt The Fox’s emotions as he was sealed. He felt the anger, the sadness, the absolute hated for the Empyrean kind. He gasped when the memory ended. He had seen the situation from his mother’s eyes and then The Fox’s. The pain had left him, but he still held himself together with one arm and pushed himself up from the ground with the other.

“Why? Why did it have to happen like that?” Naruto sobbed with gritted teeth. 

He lifted his hand to grab something to steady himself as he tried to stand up and felt something different under his glove. His red eyes looked over and was surprised by a stag lying next to him. He lifted his head and looked around, there were four others watching him closely. He closed his eyes and swallowed against the weird feeling that began to creep up his spine.

“I am sorry if I did something wrong, don’t curse the Naras or anything,” Naruto mumbled through the resonance of rain hitting the leaves and light rumbles of thunder. 

_“You could never do anything wrong in our eyes, Demon Lord,”_ Naruto suddenly heard in his mind, his eyes widening as he turned to look back at the stag. _“We felt you enter the forest and heard your screams. We are here if you require assistance.”_

“What the hell is going on?” Naruto asked as he slowly pulled his hand away from the stag.

_“They are Fomorians that took on the form of deer. They serve me, and you, because you are my vessel,”_ The Fox explained as Naruto looked carefully at each one. _“The Nara seem to be connected to the angel bloodline that had the ability to communicate between Heaven and Hell.”_

“The Nara can communicate with demons,” Naruto repeated.

_“Yes,”_ another deer answered as it strode forward, laying down on the other side of Naruto. _“We found them long ago and said we would watch over them if they would protect us. They are part of the fallen angels, as some would call them. Their blood has more darkness than light, hence their abilities”_

Naruto nodded just trying to grasp the idea that these were demons he was conversing with and they were here to help him. He reached a hand up carefully, about to stroke the second deer and stopped himself. The doe noticed his apprehension and moved her head closer. He stroked the top of her head and noticed his gloves. He slipped them off, he was among other demons after all, he didn’t need them right now.

He smiled when he felt the fur under his bare fingertips. It was rare his hands got to touch much of anything other than when smashing someone’s face in during a fight in class or soap and water when he took a shower. He wondered if this was being disrespectful to them, wanting to feel their fur like they were pets. 

_“No, they don’t mind. They don’t get touched much either. Demons enjoy some physical contact now and again. I mean, there are reasons why certain activities are seen as carnal and immoral,”_ The Fox answered his thoughts.

“Certain activities as carnal and immoral?” Naruto questioned not catching on.

_“You’ll figure it out sooner or later,”_ The Fox chuckled.

Naruto shrugged figuring it wasn’t really that important. He turned to the buck and stroked his fur a bit before he found his eyes slipping shut. He hadn’t realized how tired he was. He rubbed his eyes and slowly stood, the deer rising with him. 

“Can you lead me back to the inn?” his low demon echo asked followed by a toothy yawn. 

The stag nodded, and both the deer led the way while the others stayed nearby. He began to see the lights appear through the trees. Reaching the inn, next to the window he had jumped through, he noticed Kakashi and Shikaku waiting at the back door on the patio there. The buck lowered his head under Naruto’s hand, throwing it on to his back and led him to the two men. 

“Thank you for bringing me back,” Naruto told the stag before running his hand through his fur once more. “I’ll probably see you guys tomorrow.”

Shikaku raised an eyebrow at the blond boy and heard the deer say, _“You’re welcome,”_ before leaping back into the forest. He knew the boy heard it too, from the grin that formed on his face.

“So, you can hear them,” Shikaku said with a grin. 

“They are demons after all,” Naruto replied. “I have the Demon Lord inside of me, so it just makes sense.”

“Demons?” Kakashi repeated, his facial expression questioning what Naruto just said.

“Fomorians that took the shape of deer. The Nara can hear them because of the bloodline they carry. I hear you are more darkness than light,” Naruto said flashing his teeth. “That sounds interesting.”

“Well, aren’t you getting ahead of yourself,” Shikaku smugly replied. “You will see our darkness soon enough. We were worried about you, everything ok?”

“Yeah, something Kakashi said just made me remember some stuff. May I go to bed?” Naruto asked as he moved toward the door reaching for the door knob.

“Naruto, why are your gloves off?” Kakashi asked, curious.

Naruto pulled the gloves out of his pockets and shrugged, “I wanted to pet the deer and they didn’t mind. I doubt I can taint other demons.”

Kakashi nodded while lifting his brows, “You make a good point. Yeah, head to bed. We’ll talk in the morning. Sasuke is already up there.”

Naruto slowly made his way up the stairs but didn’t have the chance to open the door. Sasuke was leaning in the doorway waiting for him.

“What happened?” the Uchiha immediately asked.

Naruto shrugged, “I figured out what is in the journal, want to read it?”

“That does not answer my question,” Sasuke replied a little miffed.

“I will answer it later,” Naruto offered as he reached for his pack and pulled out the journal. 

He bit into his palm and squeezed out enough blood to fill the seal that locked his mom’s written memories. He flipped to the last page he had read, skimming it over before turning to the next. The following sheets of paper held what he thought, her growing fears about being found out, comments on her pregnancy, and one interesting thing he wasn’t expecting. Namikaze, his father’s clan name was listed in the entry where she was fretting about her child’s name.

He already knew his name was the Pervy Sage’s idea, he had learned that on the train but, even then, he never heard his father’s clan name. Namikaze? He didn’t remember ever hearing that name before. He decided to put that mystery in the back of his mind, reading until he got to the page he had been waiting for.

There it was, rushed handwriting across the page. He ran his hand over it, now knowing for sure who it was from. When he had watched the memories, there had been parts that were like looking through a dimpled glass. When he relived it, it had been clear as day. This was his father’s handwriting.

_“Naruto, I hope you get this. I hope you know this was our last resort. We love you so much. I left the key. All you need to do is open it. The Fox will know what to do.”_

Naruto took a few deep breaths and just then realized Sasuke was sitting next to him. He grabbed the envelope out of the back before giving the journal to his friend. He stood up taking a few steps into the middle of the room while the other boy watched.

Sasuke became concerned when Naruto pulled off his hoodie and shirt after placing the envelope onto the floor. He then quickly looked down, reading the page in front of him, realizing what his friend was about to do. They had no idea what that could cause. They should probably have Kakashi with them if he was about to activate the key.

Naruto reopened the wound that was already healing, placing it on the quickly made blood seal of the envelope. He felt it activate as he pulled away. The envelope opened like an unfolding pinwheel revealing, what looked to be, a blank piece of aura paper. Naruto squinted, noticing a motif with a faint greenish blue glow.

_“Pool a little energy in your hand and touch it,”_ The Fox instructed. 

Naruto used his unbloodied right hand to do so and heard Sasuke start to object as he placed his palm on top of it. Naruto clenched his teeth together, his canines cutting his lips, as a burning sensation climbed up his arm. His slitted pupils expanded as he watched the greenish blue energy follow the burning. It left a circular, gear like pattern on his palm and a notched line up his forearm. His eyes scrunched shut and he cursed through gritted teeth as the burning intensified. He opened one eye to watch the design get branded into his skin much like the seal had felt when Jiraiya tried to tighten it. 

Sasuke sprinted forward, watching as the key latched itself onto Naruto. The blood running down his chin from his teeth cutting through his lips and the curses leaving his mouth proved this was anything but pleasant. Sasuke had activated his sight as soon as Naruto had opened the envelope and noticed the key had its own aura. 

The pain left quickly as the marks along his arm began to fade. Naruto felt Sasuke grab his arm and watch it carefully as Naruto took deep breaths to calm himself down. He threw his head back and yelled in relief that it was finished. He had the key, he knew what happened to his mother, and he could now search for anything that might be available about his father.

“And I thought I was tired before,” Naruto mumbled as he collapsed to the floor as soon as Sasuke let go of him.

“How does that key work though?” Sasuke asked.

“The Fox knows, I’ll ask him in the morning,” Naruto sighed. “Maybe I’ll just sleep right here.”

“You are an idiot,” Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes.

Naruto slowly crawled into his bed, kicking off his shoes before passing out on top of the blankets. He had his first dreamless night in months and The Fox used it to his advantage. He needed to test how much pure demon energy the boy could possibly take. If they were going to open the seal, it would have to be done slowly. He didn’t want to be the reason the boy died, he had already caused the death of his parents.

***

Sasuke woke up as soon as daylight crept through the window. The storm must have fully passed when they had fallen asleep. It was only sprinkling when Naruto had come into the room last night, so it made since. Only light, puffy clouds dotted the sunrise. He stretched and looked at Naruto who was snoring loudly, still in his demon-shifted state.

Sasuke left his bed to take a shower and change into the only other clothing he owned. He quickly brushed his teeth and dried his hair before leaving the room holding the snoozing blonde. Pulling on his gloves, he made his way down the stairs to the smell of food cooking. Kakashi greeted him with a masked smile and Shikamaru stood petting a deer that had its head through one of the large windows at the far end of the room.

“Naruto still sleeping?” Kakashi asked.

“Yeah, he is still in his fox state, too,” Sasuke reported.

“Any nightmares?”

Sasuke thought for a moment and realized that had been his first night of uninterrupted sleep in ages, “No, not a single one that I know of, I wonder ...”

“You wonder what?” Shikamaru asked as he joined the conversation.

“Oh, nothing really. Maybe Naruto finishing the journal finally put his mind at ease,” Sasuke explained skipping the part about finding the key.

“He finished it last night? I thought he’d be too tired to do so,” Kakashi replied somewhat happily. “It probably knit all those memories flashing in his head together.”

“Journal?” Shikamaru questioned which was followed by the breakfast bell ringing.

“We can discuss it over breakfast with you and Shikaku,” Kakashi suggested.

They entered the dining room, sitting down for breakfast with Shikaku soon joining them. They had no need to worry about their discussions. The Naras had emptied their small inn of everyone but themselves, a few Forsaken servants that were well treated, and Kakashi and his students. The two Naras sitting at the table were quite interested in the journal and the way Naruto was able to see his mother’s memories through The Fox’s eyes.

They had finished their breakfast but continued their conversation. It turned into questions for Sasuke, about his sight and what it could do. Shikamaru also asked about the Uchiha clan, and what they were like before being cleansed. Sasuke tried to answer to the best of his ability but it had been six years ago now. Some things were beginning to fade from his memory much to his disappointment.

Hours passed which was evident by the clock chiming eleven in the morning. Sasuke volunteered to wake up the demon sleeping beauty if he could have a little fun. Kakashi finally agreed as long as it didn’t injure Naruto or cause damage. Shikamaru decided to lazily follow just for entertainment purposes. The pony-tail clad boy stayed in the doorway while Sasuke carefully and quietly entered the room.

Naruto had flipped onto his back in his sleep and was hugging a pillow to his chest as he drooled down the side of his face. Sasuke extended a finger to the bottom of his friend’s foot with a mischievous smile covering his face. He looked at Shikamaru and counted down with the fingers of his other hand before sending a jolt of lightning through Naruto’s foot.

“SHIT!” Naruto yelled as his body jerked off the bed a foot before landing back on the mattress with a few small bounces. He glared at Sasuke and snarled, “I HATE YOU!” reaching for him with claws extended as Sasuke backed away.

“Hey, idiot. It's past eleven and you need to get up or miss lunch at noon,” Sasuke announced as he stood in the doorway with a smirking Shikamaru. “You have thirty minutes to shower or I’ll electrify the plumbing.”

Naruto snapped his teeth as him, “I will let The Fox eat you and I won’t feel bad about it in the least.” 

“Can he do that?” Shikamaru asked as Sasuke closed the door.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and looked himself over. He really needed a shower and he might want to go back to normal for a while. He was planning on trying the key soon if he could do so without anyone stopping him. He pushed the demon energy down as he climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom, peeling off the rest of his clothes in the process.

The hot water felt amazing after being in the cold rain last night. Naruto tried to make the shower quick in case Sasuke followed through with his threat. He brushed his teeth as he dried his hair before pulling on his pants and shoes. Carrying his shirt and gloves down the stairs, he had them on before he reached the bottom.

Naruto caught Sasuke’s hand when it was about to collide with his chest, “I think that black hair of yours needs a windblown look.”

He put his other hand, so his gloved palm touched the dark-haired boy’s nose and smiled before letting go, blasting a tornado of wind into the other boy’s face, knocking him into the wall at the back of the lobby. Naruto slapped his hands to together for a job well done and headed to the dining room.

Sasuke picked himself up off the floor with a quick, “Touché,” and followed the blond.

“Naruto, did you destroy anything when you blew Sasuke into the wall?” Kakashi asked with a knowing expression.

“If anything is broken, it’s Sasuke’s fault. He shouldn’t have run into it.”

“Nothing is broken,” Sasuke answered. “All I did was effectively wake you up, idiot. Didn’t have to blast me into a wall.”

“You shocked me, AGAIN. I couldn’t plan on it, I was sleeping,” Naruto glared. “You are such a bastard.”

“Now, now, settle down. I can understand why you two might be a little riled up today. You were stuck on a train for quite a while but that doesn’t mean you can destroy the Nara’s inn,” Kakashi advised. “You still have those seals on your necks, remember. You are still expected to behave.”

Naruto crossed his arms with a small pout and Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. They both hated the fact they were bound to whatever this man had to say even if he did have their best interests in mind. He had only ever used the bonding seals against them when they asked for it instead of regular punishment. They knew what the markings could do if they really tried to overstep their bounds.

“Oh, you’re blue-eyed and flat teethed again,” Shikaku greeted Naruto, “Ready for lunch? My wife is almost finished and then will be headed out shopping. We will get some training in then. Ino and Inoichi will arrive a few days from now.”

“Sure, what’s for lunch?” Naruto asked.

“Just a variety of cold cuts, bread, and any topping you might want for sandwiches. She wanted to put together something simple, so she could get out the door.”

“That sounds good,” Sasuke responded and walked toward the dining room as soon as the little bell rang.

Shikaku, Shikamaru, and Kakashi watched as the Forsaken boys stacked their sandwiches high before finishing them easily. Sasuke’s was more veggie than meat while Naruto’s was like a carnivore’s dream. The other three ate average sandwiches shaking their heads at their antics. 

Once everyone was finished, and they had cleaned up after themselves for Shikamaru’s mother, they headed outside to a clearing in the opposite direction Naruto had headed last night. The deer appeared at the forest’s edge to investigate the activity. A few went to greet the Naras while the familiar buck and the doe frolicked over to ask about Naruto’s wellbeing.

Naruto took off a glove, reaching out and the doe immediately put her head under his hand asking within his mind, _“Is the Demon Lord’s vessel well?”_

“I am good. My name is Naruto, by the way,” he chuckled.

“Talking to deer now, are you?” Sasuke taunted unknowingly.

The doe turned to face Sasuke, tilted her head and walked over, _“Master Naruto, please ask him to use his sight.”_

“She wants you to use your sight, Sasuke,” Naruto relayed as the buck came over to him, letting Naruto lean against his side as the blond scratched around his antlers. “And she’s not just a deer.”

“She is a deer that automatically knows I have these eyes,” he said sarcastically as his activated his sight and then jumped back. “That’s not a deer!”

“Told ya,” Naruto smiled. “She says you have demon eyes. She noticed them as soon as she saw you.” 

“You can actually speak with them?”

“Yeah, they like to be pet. You should try it,” Naruto answered as the buck shifted causing the blond to stand. The Fomorian walked over to the Uchiha and the blond followed, his ungloved hand never leaving the deer’s neck.

Sasuke took off one of his gloves and stroked the doe’s back as she came closer. He could not only see the demon energy running through her body, but he could feel it. He looked at Naruto as his eyes suddenly flickered red and a wicked smile crossed his face for just a second. 

“I could tell them to do anything I wanted, and they’d listen,” he whispered and decided to prove his point. “You can talk to Sasuke, he is trustworthy with anything you have to say,” he whispered into the buck’s ear and the deer nodded.

_“I understand, Master Naruto, vessel of the Demon Lord,”_ Sasuke suddenly heard in his mind as the buck approached him. _“Does Sasuke have a title?”_

“I don’t know,” Naruto answered still whispering as he watched Shikaku and Kakashi discussing something while eyeing them. “Sasuke would be the heir of his clan along with his brother. Maybe something like Lord would work?”

_“Lord Sasuke, we are at your service,”_ the buck replied as he bowed his head slightly. 

“Are you two bothering the deer?” Shikamaru interrupted. “They don’t usually stay out of the safety of the forest this long. Why are these two hanging around you so much?” 

“Just having friendly conversation,” Naruto answered. “Demon to demon.”

“You figured them out, did you?” Shikamaru grinned walking up to stroke the doe that stood next to Sasuke. “I knew as soon as I read about the different classes of demons, it was the only thing that made perfect sense.”

Sasuke and Naruto nodded before turning to their names being called. The deer’s ears faced forward waiting for anything that was about to be said. Shikamaru backed up and then kneeled on the ground before Kakashi gave some instructions.

“You are not allowed to attack, only dodge. You will be trying to avoid the Nara’s secret ability. Go.”

“WAIT! What the hell is their ability?” Naruto yelled as the deer sprinted for the forest.

“SHIT! Naruto, move! The shadows!” Sasuke warned as he began jumping and flipping to avoid the onslaught of shadows moving across the ground.

Naruto did as he was told and watched the darkness curling, morphing and moving trying to catch him. He was quickly caught, or his shadow rather. Paralyzed, he watched Shikamaru stand.

“You have to watch your shadow as much as your body,” the shadow manipulator stated before throwing his hand up in front of his face, Naruto’s body mirroring it. 

Naruto’s eyes widened as his body continued mirroring Shikamaru’s actions, including watching Sasuke get caught by the boy’s father. Naruto grew annoyed and began to fight against the shadow’s hold. Shikamaru knelt back down, hands bathed in the darkness and he smirked. The more Naruto struggled, the heavier the feeling become on his limbs. The blond then noticed something, his captor was starting to stain.

Naruto felt his mouth become free from the paralysis, “Reaching your limit? What’s the longest you’ve kept this up, Shikamaru?”

“This is probably the longest, but my dad is stronger and he has your friend. What are you going to do about that? You’re not allowed to attack remember?”

Naruto huffed and then pulled against his invisible restrains until he felt them give, Nara looking annoyed. The blond quickly jumped into a tree, replacing his glove he had removed earlier. He needed to keep a better watch on the shadows and he had to figure out a way to get Sasuke out of his mess. Shikaku’s shadow was entwined with Sasuke’s but that didn’t stop him from creating another tentacle just for Naruto.

“You can make more!?” the blond exclaimed, watching it reach across the ground towards him.

An idea quickly crossed his mind when he jumped down, looking into the forest. He dodged a few attempts of Shikaku’s to capture him, before retreating into the trees.

“Wait, did Naruto just abandon Sasuke?” Shikaku asked.

“No, he’s planning something and it’s going to be an ‘on the fly’ sort of plan. He’s not a chess player,” Kakashi commented, waiting.

Moments later, dozens of Narutos came popping out of the trees. Shikaku tried to stay focused while Shikamaru did his best to catch and destroy as many copies with his shadow. Two landed on either side of Shikaku.

“Hey, shadow dude, how long can you do that?”

“Yeah, how long? Like, ten minutes?”

“No, he’s that guy’s dad, he should be able to hold it twice that.”

“Sasuke is pretty strong though, looks like he is already pulling against it.”

Shikaku’s eyelids fell as he sighed. This was the blond kid’s tactic then, distract and annoy? He upped the pressure on the Uchiha when he started to get free, trying to ignore the argument going on between the twin idiots. 

“So, what would happen if say, you caught one of your deer in your shadows? How pissed would they be?” the blonde’s voice whispered not inches from his ear when a small herd of deer leaped through the trees into the battlefield. 

Shikaku immediately released his prey, calling his shadow back and ordered Shikamaru to do the same. The original blond was leaning against a trunk along the tree line with a huge smile, releasing his copies in puffs of smoke. Sasuke smirked as one of the deer came over to greet him.

“Know your enemies’ weaknesses, right Kakashi,” Naruto declared as he walked into the clearing. “They would never hurt their deer, I wouldn’t want to either.”

“You used that lesson well, and Sasuke your evading techniques were well done, especially since you were against a more experienced opponent,” Kakashi critiqued. “Ok, let’s do that again and no using the deer. You won’t have something like that available during the Tournament.”

“Summons?” Naruto asked. “I could call on Gamakichi and Gamatatsu during the tournaments, couldn’t I?

“Not always, so let’s make that a no for now,” Kakashi answered. “Again, no attacks, dodge, and let’s see how long you last before getting caught this time.”

Sasuke jumped into the trees, replacing his own glove he had forgotten he removed. His friend had followed him and watched as the Uchiha tried to figure out a weakness to the actual technique. Sasuke knew the Naras used their own shadows to fuel it while looking at the swaying shadows the trees created that they were currently in. 

“Naruto, they can probably use any shadow for their ability. Being in the trees is not going to help us. These create large pools of darkness,” he spoke while watching the morphing shadows come dangerously close to them. 

“We are both fast, ya know. We can do this. All we have to do is avoid them right. Dodge and distract?” Naruto replied.

Naruto then sent out more than two dozen copies, transforming half to look like Sasuke. It was a harder technique to pull off, but he did it. He saw Sasuke smirk and vault off the tree branch back into the clearing. Naruto followed not far behind. The two shadows were easy to avoid now that they fully understood what they could do.

Kakashi was impressed with their improvement. Both boys were using everything to their advantage, but they couldn’t fully escape. The clearing was the exact size of the Naras’ range, as long as his students stayed within it, they were within the shadows reach. The number of fakes was dwindling so Kakashi told Shikamaru and Shikaku to change tactics.

“Shit!” Naruto exclaimed as the shadow coming after him split into four tendrils and raised off the ground trying to grab him.

Sasuke seemed to be having the same problem, “What are these damned things doing now?”

“They want to give you a kiss, Sasuke,” Naruto answered sarcastically while being forced into a back handspring to escape.

Sasuke grunted in annoyance as he jumped back and side-stepped to avoid the inky things. He watched the Naras hoping to see signs of fatigue. Shikamaru was starting to shake a bit but his father was smirking, he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Kakashi’s students lasted a while until they ended up back to back. Shikamaru and Shikaku were smiling as the tendrils wrapped around their prey like rope. Naruto did not like this feeling, and Sasuke was of the same mind. 

“Damn it!” Sasuke yelled in annoyance. “Give us one more shot.”

“Fine,” Kakashi answered, “but it will only be Shikaku this time, Shikamaru looks like he is about to pass out. Because of this, he will use the one technique actually created to maim you. If he draws any blood, you’re out.”

“So, he is actually getting serious now?” Naruto asked. “Well, I can play at that game.”

“Oh, you haven’t been taking this seriously yet?” Shikaku chuckled.

“No, they haven’t,” Kakashi clarified. “Sasuke stopped using his sight after he first realized that you used shadows and Naruto has yet to show you what The Fox allows him to do.”

Shikaku smirked and kneeled down, “I’ll give you five seconds to ready yourselves.”

Naruto called up the energy that had become like his second source of oxygen and heard The Fox laugh in anticipation. He watched Sasuke’s eyes flare red and smile at the upcoming challenge. The Angel of Darkness tensed for just a second before jagged shadows rose from the ground and began trying to pierce them. Shikaku watched both boys move.

Sasuke was a newly oiled, smooth running machine. Each movement designed and implemented for effectiveness, each muscle shifting perfectly with the flow of a flawless timepiece. It was like watching a deadly dance. Naruto, on the other hand, was a feral predator. Every jump, sprint, and eye movement quick and jerky. His movements involved all fours and he knew how to use those claws of his to an advantage even when he wasn’t attacking. 

The shadows were like winged killers. Gravity had no effect on their speed and attacking them was out of the question. Even if Kakashi allowed it, they were like double-edged swords and grabbing them would cause loss of limb. Naruto and Sasuke worked together to try to get Shikaku to have to split his attention as much as possible, only crossing paths when one needed a distraction to get away.

“Naruto, do you have enough in you to call out some more copies?” Sasuke called out as Naruto ducked a shadow and immediately hurled himself upward with all fours as another came to try to spear his left arm.

“Maybe like six of them,” he yelled back, “unless your wanting them to have a bit of fox in them.”

“Make ten red-eyed demons,” Sasuke smiled, “his energy reserves are low. That should make him finally collapse.”

Shikaku’s eyes widened at the Narutos that came into existence. He could even share the demon energy with them? His bond with The Fox must be strong for that to occur. He tried to keep his eye on the two that were his main targets but felt his energy dip too low as his shadows quickly faded. He chuckled in tired amusement, these kids were a workout.

Naruto smiled when he saw the older Nara give up, walking a few paces to let himself slide down a tree. He released the copies as soon as his rear hit grass. Sasuke fell backwards landing on his back with a relieved huff. They were exhausted, but they had won this round.

***

After Kakashi had told them to shower again, he took them out into town to shop. It was for the best, even though they were clean, there clothes weren’t. He took them to a few clothing stores the Naras had recommended and the boys had never felt more out of their element. They usually just wore whatever clothes were given to them. They never had this much freedom in choosing anything. 

Kakashi said they could pick seven shirts and four pairs of pants or shorts, two hoodies or long-sleeved shirts, and a pair of new shoes. Sasuke seemed to migrate to darker colors: blue, black, gray, sometimes even purple. Naruto, on the other hand, eyed anything orange, red, or yellow, matching his obnoxious personality, and every now and then he’d find something green he liked. Naruto wasn’t the best at math but tried to get things that didn’t have large numbers on the price tag, Sasuke seemed to follow this same thought process. 

When Kakashi found them, after wondering around the store for a while, they were in the shoe section. He had grabbed them each a package of boxers and socks. Naruto was holding his current pair of shoes, sole to sole, with a pair of combat style boots. 

“Naruto, you look like a size seven maybe seven and a half. Sasuke I am guessing you are an eight,” Kakashi advised. “The sizes are listed on the side of the boxes.”

“Thanks, Sir Kakashi,” Naruto replied as he started looking at the boxes.

“You can drop the ‘Sir’ here. It’s not needed.”

Kakashi watched as Sasuke and Naruto discussed which footwear would be best. They weren’t your average teenagers, discussing what would be practical in a fight instead of which would look cooler in the club. When Ino got here, she’d be appalled. Kakashi chuckled to himself at the thought.

The overseer took notice of the two piles of clothing at each end of the bench that Naruto and Sasuke sat on. He slowly went through them, making sure that everything was adequate. He had to admit, the clothing fit their personalities and fighting styles more than he thought possible. Kakashi then had an idea that was more about sportsmanship than style.

“I am going to take your clothing choices to counter and buy them. Keep trying to find the footwear that you would be most comfortable in,” Kakashi announced as he headed to the front counter.

The one clerk that was free wore thick glasses and looked bored out of his mind compared to the two girls that were chatting up a storm. Kakashi approached him with the clothing he carried and waited for him to ring up everything before stopping him when he came to the shirts. The twenty-something kid looked confused.

“Can you guys add embroidery or patches to the back of the shirts?” Kakashi asked, his elbow on the counter, leaning on his hand.

“What are you looking for? I know we do carry certain clan and family patches. Embroidery is most certainly a no,” the kid answered.

“How about the rarer clans?” he said with a wave of his fingers on the hand he was leaning on.

“Like the cleansed ones or something?” he asked with a raised eyebrow and a bit of attitude.

“Well, the Uzumaki and Uchiha, preferably.”

The boy’s eyes went wide and then narrowed as he turned his head, “Those clans were said to be wiped out.”

“Do you have those patches or not?” Kakashi asked standing up, putting both hands along the counters edge. 

The clerk leaned down and pulled out a bin from under the counter that had smaller bins labeled with letters. He pulled out the “U” labeled bin and slid it over to Kakashi. The masked man slowly fingered through the fabric patches and found three of each.

“These are what I need. Put the patches on the hoodies,” Kakashi said as he slid them over, “and I’ll by the two extras to show to another store that screen prints,” he finished sliding the short-sleeved shirts over.

“Fine,” the kid said, annoyed as he collected the bins and put them back under the counter.

He interrupted the girls’ social hour and had one of them sew the patches into place the way Kakashi instructed. He then rang up the rest of the shirts and cashed out the transaction while Kakashi waited for the girl to finish.

The overseer turned when he heard Naruto calling as he walked up, “Kakashi, we found some good boots.”

“They are a bit expensive though,” Sasuke added. 

“It’s fine, I’ll cover it if they go above your allowances.”

Kakashi took the boxes and handed them to the kid he just got done annoying, “Hey, I want these, too. Well, they want these.” 

“Whatever,” the kid replied and rang them up. 

Kakashi received the bagged boots and the long-sleeved shirts back at the same time. He nodded his thanks and motioned for the boys to follow him. He headed to the custom apparel shop they had walked by earlier. Handing the two boys a twenty each and a bag to hold, Kakashi sent them snack hunting while he ran his errand.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at their twenty-dollar bills and then looked around. Snacks, they could find snacks easily enough. They followed the scent of food and found an area that was labeled with a large “Food Court” sign. By the time they left, they each had bags full of random food items, and were munching on fries. Kakashi found the two of them effortlessly.

“I am getting something done to your T-shirts so they won’t be ready until tomorrow, but you guys do know how to use a washer and dryer. When we get back to the Nara’s, you wash the two sets of clothes you brought from the compound. They will be your training clothes for now on.”

Sasuke and Naruto nodded with mouths full and then followed Kakashi as he led them back to the inn. They did as they had been told after Shikamaru gave them something else to wear and showed them where laundry could be done. Kakashi rationed the snacks out so they’d last through their stay there. He didn’t want to Naras to lose money because of the bottomless pits.

***

The day Ino and Inoichi Yamanaka arrived Sasuke and Naruto had been out with Kakashi training in the woods. The pair were almost two weeks late, flooding from excessive rain being the cause of their delay. Shikamaru welcomed both in and Shikaku immediately left to speak to Inoichi about his guests, their soon-to-be training partners. 

Naruto and Sasuke returned, covered in dirt, bruises, and some cuts, surprised to see a long-haired, pale blond sunning herself on the back patio in nothing but a two piece and sunglasses. Kakashi was not far behind and shook his head as soon as he saw her. Ino had never been a shy one. 

“Ino, you do realize I didn’t invite you and your father here for vacation, right?” Kakashi called out as she lowered her shades to look at him with a knowing smirk.

“I know, but a girl should always try to look her best and having a tan during this time of year is a rare occurrence. I like to get mine started early,” She replied back. 

Both boys walked past her without another glance in her direction. They knew from many lectures that angel-blooded girls could be a death sentence. Plus, if they wanted to eat, showers were needed or Lady Nara wouldn’t feed them. Ino huffed in annoyance at being ignored.

“What the hell? Not even a compliment on my swimsuit. Rude much?” she scolded.

“Ino, they aren’t training to compliment your idea of fashion. They are training to protect someone like you,” Kakashi said as he leaned against the door the boys had just went through. 

“What if they are bought to protect a woman? I bet she would enjoy a few compliments every now and then,” she whined. “I mean, you could teach them to be nicer to girls.”

Kakashi rubbed his temples, “Do you know what could happen to them if they say the wrong thing to or are caught with their eyes lingering on someone like you?”

“Well, yeah, but really, what kind of woman would hate the eyes of that dark-haired one looking at her,” Ino smiled wickedly. “He’s pretty hot.”

Kakashi rolled his eye as he opened the door to enter the inn, “His name is Sasuke, Ino. And the other one is Naruto. Please take their training seriously.”

***

_“Why haven’t you tried the key yet?”_ Naruto heard The Fox’s voice echo in his mind as he showered. _“It’s been two weeks.”_

Naruto scrubbed his scalp as he answered with his own thoughts, “Kakashi has been training us like crazy. We’ve barely had time to rest. You told me yourself, I will have to be ready for the consequences. I didn’t think I should do it when I am exhausted.”

_“That’s true but it may open up more possibilities during these tournaments, even if it is only one click.”_

“One click?” Naruto repeated as the suds were rinsed down his back.

_“We can’t open the thing all at once, it will overwhelm you. Let’s say two clicks equal one tail of power. One click would be a good way to start,”_ The Fox tried to explain.

“One tail of power? So, the number of tails determines the power I can use?” Naruto questioned.

_“Yes. I have no idea how much you can actually handle, but I hope if we start conditioning your body this early we can have the seal fully open in three years.”_

“Three years,” Naruto said quietly, out loud before hearing pounding on the door.

“IDIOT! I would like some hot water!” Sasuke hollered into the bathroom.

Naruto turned the water off, exiting the shower before wrapping a towel around his waist. Sasuke glared at him as he entered the main room and sat on his bed. 

“Sorry, I was having a conversation with the demonic furball, ya know,” Naruto apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Sasuke stopped in the bathroom doorway, “When are you going to do it?”

“Hm?” Naruto responded as he pulled on a red shirt with his clan’s trademark swirl in white on the back.

“The key, when are you going to try to use it?” Sasuke clarified as he threw his dirty shirt at the blond to get his attention.

Naruto batted the shirt away and shrugged, “Whenever I am not too worn out and can sneak out at night into the forest.”

Sasuke nodded and then stepped into the bathroom closing the door. Naruto guessed he planned on coming along.

Naruto headed downstairs as soon as he finished dressing, his gloves fully pulled on as he reached the last step. He was met by a man with long, ashy blond hair in a high ponytail like the girl’s had been earlier. His teal eyes studied the blond like he was already on the auction blocks, full of curiosity as he rubbed his square jaw.

“Uh, hello. Is there something I can do for you?” Naruto asked trying to break the tension he felt.

“Naruto, right?” he asked.

Naruto nodded.

“I am Inoichi. Shikaku tells me a demon fox is bonded to you?”

Naruto nodded again, not feeling any better with the direction this conversation was quickly heading, “You could say that, I guess.”

Naruto felt a hand ruffle his hair and looked up. Kakashi stood a step above him with a grin that told him he’d take over answering the questions for now.

“Inoichi, Naruto is not always comfortable answering those types of questions. You’ll actually learn more just by watching him.”

Naruto left the men to talk and ended up in the foyer, dropping himself into one of the lounge chairs. It would be a little less than half an hour before dinner was ready, so he closed his eyes to take a short nap. That was quickly interrupted by the girl he had seen earlier.

“I remember you, I’m Ino. Are you in the mood to talk today?” Ino asked, watching the blond boy’s eyes open.

Naruto lifted an eyebrow and tried to think of another time he could have met her, repeating her words in his mind. He was thankful she was fully dressed now as he tried to place her. His first trip out into town, she had been the girl in the equipment shop, right? He inwardly cringed at the memory.

“Sure. What would you want to talk about?” he lazily asked as he raised his hands and placed them behind his head.

“Why don’t we talk about Sasuke,” Ino stated. “He seems like an interesting person.”

Naruto smirked, “You want to talk about the bastard? He isn’t that interesting. What do you want to know?”

“I don’t know. What does he like?” Ino began.

“Nothing. He doesn’t like anything, except maybe tomatoes,” Naruto answered as he heard the subject of their conversation coming down the stairs.

“Oh, come on. Does he have a certain preference in girls?”

“Bastard, like girls? He is probably too good for them,” he answered with a mischievous grin as Sasuke walked into the room. “Right, Sasuke?”

Naruto watched Ino jump and whip her head around as Sasuke grunted in approval, his right arm resting on the top of the high-backed chair she sat in. The pale blond then proceeded to flip her hair over her shoulder while running her fingers through the ends with a sly smile. Naruto rolled his eyes, he hadn’t missed the way girls in town seemed to stare at his comrade. He also existed, ya know.

Sasuke already found this Ino chick intolerable. He had come here to talk to Naruto about the key situation, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t be leaving him alone anytime soon. Naruto had been his saving grace when he was in town. Maybe they sensed the demon in him or they just found him as obnoxious as most people did. Either way, it kept them from actually approaching him, she didn’t seem to care.

Ino continued to try to make conversation between the two, but it seemed only Naruto was a conversationalist. Sasuke, the one she truly wanted to talk to, just seemed angry at the world for existing. Somehow his brooding made him that much more attractive in her teenage mind. She would be training with these two for a week, maybe longer. It would be interesting.

The bell rang, and the boys immediately headed to the dining hall, the three men were already seated. Ino followed a bit behind and noticed that the pair seemed to have preferred spots. She found an open seat close to Sasuke and slid in, Shikamaru taking the empty seat next to his father. 

Sasuke winced as he extended his arm to reach his silverware. He had been cut badly during training along his shoulder blade and it still haunted him. Kakashi seemed to notice, got up and approached him lifting the back of his shirt.

“Naruto, grab the first aid kit, will you? Let me give you a lesson in stitches,” Kakashi stated as he motioned for his patient to take off his shirt. “You opened it back up just with that movement, Sasuke. I knew it was more serious than you made it out to be.”

Naruto returned with the first aid kit that he had retrieved from the kitchen while Ino ogled Sasuke’s shirtless form. Kakashi had replaced his fingerless gloves with latex ones before cleaning the wound and surrounding area. The instructor explained the importance of every movement with Sasuke flinching every time the needle pierced his skin while trying to ignore Ino’s stare.

After getting an eyeful of the Uchiha, Ino watched in fascination, confused why no one else seemed to find it odd that Kakashi was giving his trainee stitches at the dinner table. Neither boy whined about the interruption either. Was this a normal day to them, did they ever have real fun? Did they know what real fun was?

“Having demon healing abilities would be a nice perk right now,” Sasuke grunted as the next stitch was threaded through his skin.

“Whatever, bastard. You would be the most boring demon host ever. Just sitting there brooding like a mother hen in those stupid farming videos I had to watch at the labor camp,” Naruto sneered at the brunette. “Demon chicken, that’s what you’d host.”

“Labor camp?” Ino questioned. “I thought you were at Yamato’s compound.”

“Oh, yeah, now I am. It’s a long story. Kakashi got me out of there when he realized I have potential,” the Uzumaki beamed.

“Yeah, the potential to be an extreme idiot,” Sasuke taunted. “Without me everyone would know how stupid you are.”

“Ya know, I should ask Kakashi to rip out those stitches of yours so I can practice on you myself,” Naruto threatened.

“Now, come on both of you, settle down,” Kakashi ordered. “Naruto, have you been paying attention?”

“Yes, I promise,” Naruto replied mocking Kakashi’s actions.

Kakashi nodded his head in approval as he tied off the last stitch and took the small scissors from the first aid kit, cutting the thread. He instructed Naruto to clean up everything and Sasuke to put his shirt back on. 

“So, is that a normal day sort of thing for you guys? Training even at dinner?” Ino asked as she finally took a bite of the steamed carrots on her plate.

Kakashi smirked, “Ino, I know you are very knowledgeable about the Empyrean world, but their world is something very different. For example, they just recently found out about cell phones.”

Ino practically choked on her food, “What!?”

“They are pretty cool doodads,” Naruto commented as he walked out of the kitchen after putting everything away, “although, so many people are just staring at them all the time.”

“Wait, stop. Did you just call this,” Ino held up her cell phone, “a doodad?”

Naruto nodded as he chewed a bite of roasted chicken. 

“Kakashi, are they really that sheltered?”

“Well, in the things you find important, yes. In many other things, no.”

“Ino, they have been training to serve Empyreans in many ways since they were like, what, Kakashi?” Inoichi began.

“Sasuke, since he was seven, Naruto pretty much since birth,” Kakashi explained.

“So, they know and have probably seen things that you never even think about, my flower,” Inoichi continued. “We are here to test them against mental torture, which is one of the few violent things you have been learning. They already know how to handle the physical side.”

“I don’t know if I want to go into their minds, it is probably boring in there. Not even knowing about cell phones,” Ino whined.

Naruto froze at what he just heard and then turned to Kakashi, “Did she just say go into our minds? I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Kakashi answered.

“That’s not a bridge, Kakashi,” Sasuke argued, “It’s a pit straight to Hell.”

Inoichi wore a confused expression on his face, “What are you both so concerned about. If you can handle physical torture, what makes you so worried about yourselves when it comes to this?”

Naruto pushed his plate away and threaded his hands through his wild, golden hair, his eyes darting around to different spots on the table. They would be inside his mind, like seeing into it? They would see him, or at least the cage. He doubted The Fox would enjoy a visitor. Fuck, this would get complicated. It’s not like you can hide a monster, demon fox behind the thoughts of a bed sheet.

“Naruto settle down,” Shikamaru spoke. “You’re freakin’ out over nothing, it’s such a drag.”

Naruto suddenly felt demon energy trying to inch its way up his spine. It had been a few days since he had allowed it, and in a way, he wanted to welcome it. What was that Fox doing? Naruto let his face fall to the table and wrapped his arms around his head, shielding the newcomers from the sight of this side of him.

“What are you doing?” Naruto scolded as soon as he entered the mindscape, “I am trying to think here!”

_“You trying to think is always such a sad thing to watch,”_ The Fox sneered with an unholy grin on his face. _“Just show them, they’ll see it anyway. Or, even better, try that key out tonight, and surprise them tomorrow.”_

“You do understand, they will see you. Like this you. Not the you through my red eyes and stuff,” Naruto tried to clarify. “I have seen you hide your appearance in that cage from me before, but what if they figure out exactly what you are?”

_“The other dark angels know already, the Nara’s. Kakashi said he trusts them. You think he would invite other people to do your training he does not trust?”_

“He doesn’t trust them fully. He stopped me from answering the man’s questions instead of letting me know it was fine to. And that girl, she has to be trouble.”

The Fox chuckled, _“Like you really know anything about females. But you do have a point, she seems like she never shuts up, like you.”_

Naruto threw his hands up in annoyance. This conversation was going nowhere.

_“Listen,”_ The Fox began, _“they may see the cage, I can’t do anything about that, but as you said, I can hide myself in the darkness. Thankfully your mind is rather empty."_

“I hate you.”

_“And, I will only come out if it offers me some sort of entertainment. I haven’t been able to scare anyone for so long, oh, I could have some fun with this.”_

“NO! NO NO NO! I don’t like how you said that. You, having fun? What are you going to do? Try to attack them, however they get in here, and bite off their heads?”

_“Oh, please. Biting off their heads here would offer no blood for me to taste. But I can scare them enough they’d never dare come here again.”_

Sasuke had watched Naruto’s face fall to the table as his arms wrapped around his head and knew what was about to happen. He just turned his head and continued eating, every now and then, poking his friend in the arm to see if he was finished. He then saw Ino looking at the blond Forsaken like he was pathetic.

“Is he throwing a silent hissy fit or something? Does this really bother him that much? Geez, training with him, to quote Shikamaru, is going to be a drag,” Ino announced as she crossed her arms, flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

Sasuke looked at her with an unimpressed expression, “He’s not throwing a fit, he is having a conversation.”

“With what, the crumbs on the table?”

Sasuke poked Naruto in the arm again to see if he would respond, received nothing, and then lifted the blonde’s face up by the hair on the back of his head to show his eyes rolled back, “With his demon, genius.” 

“Put his head back down! That is disturbing!” Ino exclaimed and Sasuke smirked.

Even though she didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but stare at Naruto as Sasuke continued to hold his head up waiting for something. Suddenly the blonde’s eyes closed and reopened with crimson irises glaring at Sasuke.

Sasuke grinned at Naruto, closed his eyes, and in a sing-song voice said, “Time to wake up, princess.”

Naruto’s hand, quick as lightning, slapped Sasuke’s hand away from the back of his own head, “That hurts, ya know! I was having an important discussion. I can feel what you do even when I am in there, bastard!”

Naruto eyes widened as he heard Ino shriek, “What the hell is he?!”

“Look what you made me do!” Naruto responded. “I didn’t think to pull his energy away and now she is screaming like I sucked her blood or something.” 

“I bet it would taste good,” Sasuke commented. “Do you think angel blood, pure like their clans, tastes sweet or bitter?” 

“I don’t know, that one guy’s had a weird spice to it and-“ Naruto began until he saw Sasuke cover his mouth as he tried not to spit out the food he was eating from laughing while Ino gagged.

“SHIT!” Naruto’s dark voice yelled as Kakashi couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. 

He had to admit, any other time he would have stopped what was currently going on, but all the people at the table would have to know about at least some of their talents. Naruto was just accidentally giving his away.

“He drinks blood!?” Ino shrieked again once she stopped gagging.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Sasuke, while he pushed away all the demon energy with a huff. It proved just a tiny bit more difficult than usual since he wanted to tear the Uchiha beside him apart. When he felt as normal as he could get, he huffed again and looked at Ino who was staring at him like he was a three-headed turtle.

“But you just, you had red eyes, blue eyes. Your face, and then your voice was,” she was muttering.

“Look Naruto, we broke her,” Sasuke mused. “I guess she’s never really seen a possessed this close before.”

“I hate you,” Naruto growled. 

“So,” Kakashi said with his wide eye rolling from one end of the table to another, “Do you two understand Naruto’s, what’s the best word for it, condition any better?”

Inoichi looked at Naruto with narrowed eyes, “He’s mine during training. I want to see this demon fox.”

“That is not gonna happen,” Naruto announced, “You can come into my head, but he will not be part of this training, thanks.”

“Please, I wanted to test something,” Inoichi began, “I have been trying to figure out how to force demons out of the possessed. I think I’m close.”

“Not interested,” Naruto stated.

“The Fox is not leaving Naruto,” Kakashi said it agreement with his student.

“Why not? Does he not have any talent outside of using the abilities the demon has cursed him with?” Inoichi countered.

“He has not cursed me,” Naruto snapped almost jumping from his chair.

Sasuke grabbed him and Kakashi looked at Inoichi with a silent warning on his face, “This is no longer open for discussion. The Fox stays, Naruto is far from limited by him.”

He watched Inoichi sit back into his chair and cock his head to the side, “You’re hiding something, I know you are.”

“Just drop it,” Kakashi reiterated. “You can do the training we’ve discussed, you can’t touch The Fox.” He then turned to Sasuke and Naruto, “Go to your room, study your books for an hour and then get some sleep. Training starts early tomorrow morning.”

“Early?” Ino whined, she had recovered just enough to hear that. “Come the weekend, I am not sticking to your idea of a normal day, Kakashi,” she finished as she left the table, probably heading to her own room.

Kakashi watched the boys and Ino leave the table and head up the stairs. He waited until he heard their footsteps above him before he turned back to Inoichi.

“Is that why you agreed to this? You wanted to perform an exorcism?” Kakashi demanded. “Did The Council ask you to do this?”

“Kakashi, there has been a rise in possessions, they have tried everything else. They thought with our abilities we would be the ones to be successful,” the man tried to explain. “I figured this was the perfect opportunity, especially when you mentioned he had control over it. It must be weak enough to test my theory on.”

Kakashi openly chuckled, “Really? What is this theory of yours?”

“To drive the human mind mad so the demon has nothing to root itself into. I have noticed they find unguarded points in Mephistophelian minds, plant themselves there and then spread themselves throughout, slowly taking over, like deadly poison. If I can make the mind unstable enough, a demon could lose its roots and then be pushed out.”

“Wait a minute, you want to take a mind that is already unhealthy from demon possession and then make it even more unhealthy, more unstable, as you said, to force the demon out? What about the person that mind belongs to? How will they survive all of that?” Kakashi argued. 

“They would recover, with proper care,” Inoichi said like he was talking about giving them a small cold. “I would know how to fix the damage I cause.”

“You’re insane, Inoichi. Are you willing to sacrifice lives to test this?” Shikaku, who had been quiet, along with his son, interrupted. 

“Why would you even help The Council?” Shikamaru asked. “Aren’t they the ones who question the angel blood of our clans. Do you want to end up in the same position those two are in?”

“Kakashi seems to have faired well,” Inoichi pointed out. “They even put his Forsaken comrade’s eye in his head to tie him to his fate and he is only marked as tainted now.”

“Don’t mock me,” Kakashi ground out. “They did this because I tried to save Obito instead of sacrificing him for the ‘pure’ side of the rebellion. I refused to let him burn for what they deemed as sins of his clan. They dragged me through their filth after promising me everything if I just did what they asked. What makes you think they won’t do the same to you? If you are successful in exorcising a demon, you’ll be labeled as one yourself.”

“That’s absurd, I would be labeled as a hero if I figured out a way to save all the bodies being destroyed by demons. There are more Forsaken being killed, than being sold right now. It’s destroying the economy,” Inoichi said matter-of-factly.

“You are way to logical for your own good,” Kakashi bit back. “If a flower came into your flower shop that looked like rose, grew like a rose, and smelled like a rose, couldn’t you easily label it as one without people knowing it was a fancy daisy? If a clan has what could be labeled as dark abilities, has the ability to control demons, and can easily torture someone without leaving a trail behind, what do you think they could be labeled as without anyone arguing?”

“We are angel-blooded, they can’t refute it!”

“The Hatake were too and I am the last of them, labeled Forsaken after the rebellion until I proved otherwise. And yet, they made sure I would never gain my life back when they killed Obito in front of me and then forced me to see through his eye!” Kakashi snarled into Inoichi’s face. “Good thing they didn’t realize what a blessing his eye actually was.”

Shikamaru had never heard that part of the story and sat there shocked turning quickly to his father, “That’s why he has that eye?”

“Yes, the Hatake was the Sanctified’s parallel to the demon-blooded Inuzuka clan. That is why Kakashi can easily summon his combat hounds. They used this fact to say his clan must have been an off-shoot of the Inuzukas, easily changing his status until they deemed it fit to reinstate him as a tainted Empyrean, but they needed a reason for him to be tainted,” Shikaku answered. “Don’t go telling anyone.”

Inoichi had been sitting there in thought when he finally spoke, “Let’s say they would do that to the Yamanaka, there is more then just one of us. They can’t relabel an entire living clan.”

“Your clan could suddenly start disappearing. Maybe demon attacks, or some possessed just happened to get lose in your villages. Who knows, maybe a random wildfire starts while you all sleep,” Shikaku started offering for thought.

“Now you are reaching,” Inoichi stated.

“Is he?” Kakashi asked. “You said the possessed are suddenly gaining in number, why? Why now?”

Kakashi suddenly stopped speaking, something felt off. He sat still for a moment and realized he wasn’t sensing Sasuke or Naruto anywhere nearby. He got up and made his way out the back door, onto the patio. He sniffed the air, and then came barreling into the inn at Inoichi. 

“If Naruto got any crazy ideas because of you, I swear, I will kill you,” Kakashi threatened. He then looked at Shikaku, “Can you call some of those deer here, Sasuke and Naruto both headed into your forest.”


	13. Cravings

Sasuke and Naruto were leaping through trees as quickly as possible, only using enough energy to keep their feet and hands bound to the bark until they pushed off again. If they were going to do this without being caught too quickly, they couldn’t exert themselves too much. They had left out the bay window in their room as soon as they heard the conversation between the men start up again.

Sasuke had agreed with Naruto that they had to try out the key tonight to give The Fox more leverage in case that blond haired, self-righteous prick tried anything while inside his head. He also understood why Naruto didn’t want to be separated from The Fox, but the idiot had specifically said he couldn’t be as he ranted quietly on their way to their room. The tone he used and the look he had on his face when the statement left his mouth held the implications of one trying to separate one’s soul from their spirit. 

“Would you die, Naruto, if he somehow pulled The Fox out? Like your mother?”

“Yes, I would fuckin’ die!” Naruto yelled in frustration. “The Fox has literally been sealed inside my body, not just my brain, for thirteen damn years. It would be like ripping my heart out while it’s still beating.”

“I don’t think he can do it. The Fox is the most powerful thing this world has ever known, isn’t he?” Sasuke tried to reason, trying to calm him down.

“The Fox is behind bars right now, it doesn’t exactly give him any advantages.”

“We will give him more of an advantage.”

“Yes,” Naruto nodded as he dropped to the forest floor, he knew where they were.

It was the same spot he had found himself in the first night they arrived. The trees were thick, and the deer were already coming his direction. He knew he couldn’t wait for them, this was not far enough away when it came to hiding from Kakashi. The man alone was a bloodhound, and he had plenty of actual hounds that could sniff them out easily.

Growing more impatient by the second, Naruto took off his right glove, “Tell me how to use it.”

_“Right here, are you sure?”_ The Fox asked curious.

“Is it going to knock me out or something?” he questioned back.

_“No, not right away,”_ his demonic tenant answered back. _“Your body will be in pain and need rest after you return to normal. You might lose consciousness. It will have to get used to the larger shift whenever you decide to use it. But Naruto, there may be other side effects you should be aware of.”_

“Unless they are deadly, just tell me how to do this,” Naruto stated as he looked at his right arm in anticipation of The Fox’s instructions.

_“Remember how it burned?”_ he began. _“Send energy that hot into your arm, it should activate the key. Then place that hand where you know the seal is hidden. When it reacts by revealing itself, turn it to the left until you feel something best described as a click.”_

“Deadly? Are you sure you should be doing this right now?” Sasuke hastily inquired hearing what Naruto had demanded. “I can’t carry you all the way back if something happens and what if Inoichi comes with them.”

Naruto’s only answer was doing exactly what The Fox had just instructed him to do. With his right arm feeling like it was on fire, he lifted his shirt with his left hesitating for only a moment. As soon as the burning hand touched his stomach, the seal came to life without help of The Fox’s energy. He turned his hand as he was told, feeling the click and then dared to turn it farther.

The Fox growled and hollered in the back of his mind telling him he was insane. Naruto felt the pain of the sudden flood of demon energy he wasn’t accustomed to but knew he could handle more. He sensed the second click and pulled his hand away. The consequences of what he had done soon became apparent when he willingly tapped into the energy he had freed.

He couldn’t control it when he allowed the flood gates to open. It didn’t trickle in like before, where it climbed up his spine. No, it slammed into him like a wall of swirling water trying to drown him, pulling him under until his lungs corroded from the foreign substance. And yet, it wasn’t foreign at all, just more saturated.

Sasuke watched in alarm as Naruto fell in on himself, clutching his head and silently screaming. He backed up as he felt, as much as he saw, the demon energy engulf Naruto like a bubbling, fabric coffin. The Uchiha’s scarlet eyes then noticed all the glowing eyes watching, waiting for the outcome of this event. Suddenly, the malice filled energy left as quickly as a dream when you wake.

“Naruto? Naruto!” Sasuke called when the blond was no longer curled up in pain on the forest floor. 

“Kakashi is coming with Shikaku, sounds and smells like a few dogs, too,” Sasuke heard that eerie demon echo through the air, it sounded even rougher than before.

He searched everywhere for the source and when he looked up, he met those red eyes, the rest of his body hidden in shadows the setting sun had made. But they, too, were different. Were they larger? Maybe, but they were definitely more focused, held more of what he pictured The Fox to be. They stared down at him, analyzing him with some unknown fascination and then an unsettling, sharp toothed smile curled across Naruto’s face.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared, scary cat.”

“Hell no!” Sasuke yelled back.

“Maybe you should be.”

“Are you threatening me, idiot?”

Naruto laughed darkly, “I would never threaten you, bastard. Sorry, things just look a bit different now. I am sure I’ll get used to all of this soon.”

The doe walked up next to Sasuke, peering into the tall tree Naruto used as a perch, _“Master Naruto? They are coming to find you, afraid you did something drastic.”_

“Do you think I did?” he asked her as he sat down onto the thick branch, kicking him legs back and forth.

_“No. Are the changes bothering your body much? The Demon Lord’s powers can be potent,”_ she replied.

“I will have to get used to them but no, my body doesn’t seem to mind.”

“What changes? Your body his always morphed when you dipped into that energy. What is she talking about?” Sasuke questioned, admitting to himself those shadows hiding most of Naruto’s silhouette were driving him mad.

Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of Sasuke looking far from amused, “What the hell were you two thinking? I sensed it, Naruto did something stupid didn’t he? He figured out the key.”

“He found it a few weeks ago,” Sasuke confessed. “He wasn’t planning on using it tonight but with what Inoichi said, he wanted to give The Fox more pull in case he tried something in his head.”

“Naruto, are you planning on coming down or are just going to sit there amused with yourself like a child on a swing set?” Kakashi called, his narrowed eye never leaving Sasuke.

“Well, I am not exactly sure if I should come down. I doubt you’re happy with me but then again, if you activate the brand on my neck, I may fall to my death. It is all pretty amusing isn’t it?”

Kakashi finally looked up at Naruto, this was different then his usual attitude. Sometimes the boy would question him, but never just blatantly mock him. Then he saw it, just for a moment and his eyes went wide as he lifted the patch to get a better view.

“Naruto, what the hell?”

Sasuke looked back up, not yet picking up on it, “Kakashi, what’s wrong. I know he is acting a bit off but-.”

“He’s got a tail?” Shikaku said suddenly as he stood at the bottom of the tall tree. “Maybe the shadows are playing tricks on me, the sun is about to set, but I swear I saw it.”

“Get down here,” Kakashi ordered. “This isn’t a joke. You have no idea what you could have set into to motion.”

Naruto moved so he was now crouched on all fours looking down on them, “Why are your dogs staying back there, Kakashi? Are they waiting for someone else?”

“They are there in case Inoichi tries to follow,” he answered as Naruto finally left the tree branch. 

He landed behind Sasuke, his eyes never leaving his overseer. When he stood his full height Kakashi remembered the legends of Kitsune tsuki. There was no way to deny a fox demon lived inside him now.

Naruto watched Kakashi carefully and Sasuke had yet to turn around. He knew for certain the auburn, furry tail tipped in black, moving idly behind him and his triangular, swiveling ears that took the place of his human ones, as tall and big as they were, couldn’t be missed. He didn’t know his eyes were now ringed with jet black that extended up to those ears or that his lips sported the same shade. He did feel the larger claws sprouting from his fingertips and longer teeth filling his mouth. 

“Holy shit,” Shikaku quietly exclaimed as he approached slowly, which caused Sasuke to turn around.

Sasuke eyes went wide at first and then a smirk covered his face, “Well, at least your ears and tail are almost your favorite color.”

“Yeah, they also seem to be pretty useful,” Naruto shrugged.

“But that makeup, it’s a bit much,” Sasuke taunted.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion, “What?”

“Oh, you’ll need to find a mirror soon,” Sasuke answered.

Naruto cocked his head to the side, his red eyes narrowing, and thought for a moment, “Do I look like I am wearing weird warpaint?”

“If you add in your darkened scars, then yes,” Sasuke confirmed.

“Well, I guess The Fox wanted me to look a bit more like him then.”

Kakashi finally spoke after taking everything in, “I don’t think you two understand how serious this is. Remember what happened the first time the seal was messed with, plus these physical changes can’t be hidden with a hood.”

“This only happens when I tap into all of it,” Naruto began to explain. “I just need to train myself, with The Fox’s help, how to know at what point this change happens. I mean, I know when the other state starts, but I have no idea at what point it morphs into this.”

“The Tournaments begin in just over month. Do you think you can learn that by then?” Kakashi questioned. 

“Yeah, I think so,” Naruto replied.

Kakashi heard his dogs getting restless, “We need to start heading back. I am guessing Inoichi is waiting behind the inn now. You both will be training double time for this shit you just pulled.”

Naruto and Sasuke nodded in understanding and began to follow their annoyed overseer as Shikaku came to walk next to Naruto, interested in what he saw. Sasuke was wanting to test out Naruto’s speed now, his power. That shape had to offer him some major advantages he hadn’t had before. It was a challenge he was looking forward to meeting.

Shikaku observed both boys with interest. Sasuke didn’t seem bothered much my Naruto’s change at all. He easily walked next to him, conversing with him like nothing had changed. Naruto was different though, past the physical aspect. He eyes were taking in everything along with his ears. His movements, although still predatory, had a certain confidence to them. And the way he spoke, it had more of a sinister edge to it now.

Several minutes passed by before Kakashi got their attention by stopping suddenly, “Naruto you need to change back.”

“Then I will need to be carried the rest of the way there. The Fox said my body will be exhausted after this, I might pass out.”

“How were you planning on coming back then?” Kakashi questioned crossing his arms and tilting his head.

“I was going to sneak back in the same way we got out and pass out on the bed,” Naruto shrugged and then flinched when the man’s eyes narrowed suddenly.

“You thought you would do all this without me noticing?”

“There was a little hope,” Naruto said with a pout. “It’s not like we snuck into town or something.”

“Idiot has a point,” Sasuke said in agreement.

“What if Inoichi would have seen you sneak in? You think that would have made him rethink his intentions because if anything, it would have spurred him on more. I understand your reasons for doing this, and for Sasuke supporting you, but, next time, discuss it with me first,” Kakashi demanded.

Naruto looked down to the ground, his pointed ears folded back, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things more complicated.”

“This world is complicated, Naruto. You are one of the simpler things in it,” Kakashi said in a softer tone. “Now, get rid of all of that, and I’ll carry you in. We’ll come up with some sort of excuse for Inoichi.”

***

As soon as they reached the tree line, Kakashi sent his hounds away and glared at Inoichi, who sat comfortably in one of the patio chairs. The man seemed happy with himself for some twisted reason and turned his glaze to eye the Uchiha with his activated sight. Kakashi figured he must want to get inside that mind of Sasuke’s to see how those eyes actually worked. He was never satisfied, always needing to know more.

Naruto was currently slung over Kakashi’s back, with his arms barely staying wrapped around the man’s neck. He was still conscious, but his eyes were fighting to stay open and his body couldn’t move, his muscles completely useless. As soon as the dark energy had drained from his body, him taking on his blue-eyed, human form, it had given out. It felt like someone had put each muscle and tendon through a meat grinder and now they were trying to stitch themselves back together. He hoped The Fox could at least dull the pain suffocating him by morning.

Sasuke knew Naruto would recover quickly, he had to. He’d been through worse, they both had. The Uchiha was already planning to make time to spar in private. He needed to grow stronger, faster, he had to push himself to the next stage of his development. They were meant to be demonic gods in this world, he knew it. Naruto was now one step closer, there was no way he was going to let himself fall behind.

“Look, your little possessed pet is fine, just a little tired,” Inoichi mocked as Kakashi walked by.

“He did something dangerous because of you. You should be glad I don’t skin that smug face off your skull,” Kakashi sneered back. “I hope he is the one to drive you mad during training tomorrow.”

“Such a protective mother bear you are, Kakashi. What makes him so important?” 

“I would be the same way if you threatened Sasuke. They are not little playthings for you to test theories and experiment on.”

“If you would just let me rid him of his affliction I bet he’d be easier to control,” Inoichi continued without caring what the gray-haired man had said. “Just think about it. If that demon isn’t what makes him so desirable when it comes to his training and purpose, then why do you even care?”

Shikaku quickly grabbed Sasuke before he could deck Inoichi across the face, “Is that how you see us, just desirable things to put on a shelf and use how you see fit!?”

“They are both feisty! I could also fix that, break that strong will of his,” Inoichi offered as if Kakashi was acting interested in any of it.

“I am really starting to regret ever giving you this opportunity,” Kakashi said in response. “You are only here to train them for the Tournaments, nothing else. I will allow you to train Naruto, while Ino takes Sasuke but only because Naruto has a way of putting people in their place.”

“You think that blond, little bastard is going to put me in my place?” Inoichi asked utterly insulted.

“I or The Fox will,” Naruto weakly replied. “by the end of it all, you will wish you never set foot inside my head.” 

Inoichi sneered at the demon child who had just openly threatened him, “And I’ll take that thing inside you as a trophy when I prove you wrong.”

“He’d never allow himself to be a trophy to anyone. Good night, Sir Inoichi,” Naruto drowsily replied back without a hint of concern.

With that, Shikaku led the way through the back door into the inn, carefully dragging Sasuke with him. He knew Kakashi was finished talking to the man, and Naruto had made it clear he was no longer interested in him either. Plus, more conversation would just make training tomorrow even more cumbersome. 

The Nara did believe the Uzumaki could handle whatever the man had planned for his mind. He had backup in his corner and Inoichi had no clue. To face the Nine-Tailed Fox head on after threatening to make it a trophy, tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting.

Kakashi lowered Naruto onto his bed, him falling back like a boneless ragdoll not even trying to catch himself. The overseer was concerned about other physical consequences, the boy was helpless now and someone just a floor down would be willing to take advantage of it. He checked him over, every movement causing Naruto pain, his teeth clenching or a labored grunt escaping his lips.

The buzzing and sparking flashing throughout Naruto’s aura as it swirled and spun confused Sasuke. He had never seen this before. It didn’t look bad, exactly, just overloaded. Like when the circuit breaker blew after Sasuke lost control of a lightning exercise inside their room, except this wasn’t turning itself off. It was fighting to right itself with this new-found change.

_“You are such a stupid, idiotic child. I said one click, and you turned a full two. I knew you were impatient and impulsive but what made you think that was a good idea?”_ The Fox lectured his vessel. _“I tell you what to do and you are supposed to listen. I do not think you are ready for the consequences.”_

“I am pretty stupid, aren’t I? The consequences so far suck. Has your cage changed?” Naruto mumbled aloud in response, Kakashi and Sasuke stilling at the sound. 

He heard The Fox’s dark laugh, _“The bars are further apart now, and I seem to have more room to stretch, in more ways than expected. I am enjoying it but that doesn’t change the fact you risked your body becoming overwhelmed.”_

Naruto tried to nod in response and winced, his neck muscles rebelling against him. He heard Kakashi pick up the phone in their room and ask for ice packs from whoever answered. Shikaku and Shikamaru came in carrying several only a few minutes later.

“What did Naruto do to himself?” Shikamaru asked watching Naruto grimace and shudder every time they moved him to place an ice pack on his sore muscles.

Sasuke didn’t take his eyes off Naruto and answered, “Would you believe it if I told you he grew a tail and pointy ears?”

“No,” the younger Nara replied.

“He has gained access to more of The Fox’s power through the seal. It seems that whenever it is messed with in some way, his body has to recover and acclimate to all the changes it brings,” Kakashi explained as he placed the final ice pack under Naruto’s neck. “The Uzumaki were known to bounce back quickly, Naruto is a perfect example and has the added bonus of The Fox being able to accelerate his healing even more. That being said, I still worry if he will have any permanent issues from this. The Fox was healing him right after an incident with Jiraiya, Naruto is showing no signs of his help right now.”

Kakashi felt Naruto fingers brush against his sleeve and he spoke quietly, his eyes half closed, “He is waiting until I fall asleep, when my muscles fully relax. He thinks it will be easier to repair them then.”

“What else did he say?” Sasuke asked finally sitting on his own bed and rubbing his now, dark eyes.

“He said earlier that I am a stupid idiot.”

“Totally agree,” Sasuke smirked.

“You were serious about the ear and tail thing then?” Shikamaru questioned. “I bet that looks menacing,” he quipped.

“You’d be surprised. It’s actually creepy, like seeing one of those crazy creatures made up in your nightmares,” Sasuke retorted, yawning loudly afterwards.

“Thank you for all your help, Shikaku and Shikamaru, but I think they need some rest. They have had an intense day,” Kakashi said as he got up and walked to the door of the room, opening it. “Also, I need to have a few more words with them in private.”

The Naras understood and took their leave, Kakashi closing the door behind them. He leaned against the door in thought for a moment before walking over, stopping when he stood between his two students. They both looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

“You two are never to put me in this type of situation again, do you understand? You should have let me know the key to the seal had been found and that you planned on using it. You are a team, so when one of you are incapacitated you are at a great handicap. Even if you both handle pain well, and one of you heals fast, this,” Kakashi said as he pointed to Naruto, “should not be done without a solid plan. Am I fully understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Sasuke and Naruto both replied drowsily. 

“There is something else you must know. I am putting a barrier seal on this room. I trust Inoichi as much as I trust that The Fox will leave Naruto willingly,” Kakashi then informed them. “You will be trapped in this room until I come for you in the morning, but it also traps everyone else outside of it. Sadly, it will be like you are back in a cell.”

“This is the nicest cell you have ever locked us in,” Sasuke murmured as he fell back onto his bed. 

Naruto hummed in agreement before closing his eyes for the night. The other boy soon followed. Kakashi left, lifting his hand up and placing it on the top of the door frame. He allowed his energy to flow into his hand as he recited the words, slowly pulling away from the entryway until he saw his light blue energy creating an enveloping box along the inside walls of the room. He shut the door knowing it would soon cover the ceiling, floor, and every access point.

He stood there and waited, sensing into the room to see if what Naruto had said was true. Soon enough, he felt the spike in demon energy that signaled The Fox had begun rectifying his student’s condition. He took a deep breath and sighed. He knew Sasuke would be itching to test himself against Naruto’s new form, trying to push himself to the next stage. He would have to find a place hidden from view for them to do so.

***

Naruto woke up gasping for air, all he heard in his head was screaming, so many people screaming. Just a moment earlier he was seeing blood, broken bones, the dead and the dying littering the area like grass seed on a barren field. Their blood, tears, and sweat the water. He swallowed against it all, he didn’t understand it. It wasn’t one of his or his mother’s memories.

_“It’s one of mine. The first angel-demon war, humans only being considered collateral damage,”_ The Fox answered quietly. _“Before angels saw the humans as a way to breed and we saw them as a way to live outside of where we were doomed to stay.”_

“Before, before anything like us existed,” Naruto tried to clarify as he took in the dark room lined with the slight glow of a pulsing blue energy.

_“Yes, before hybrids or half-breeds, whatever you want to call yourselves, ever existed.”_

“Why am I seeing this, I didn’t ask to see this,” Naruto begged to know as he slowly sat up noticing the sore stiffness of his muscles and a craving for something he couldn’t place.

_“Each time you open the seal more you become more bonded with me. You will experience what I am, past and present,”_ The Fox explained. _“That memory would be rather disturbing to your eyes.”_

“Disturbing is an understatement,” he said as he rubbed his eyes, careful not scratch himself with his claws. “Should I be awake right now?”

“No, we still have a couple hours,” Sasuke answered groggily. “How are you feeling?”

“Everything still hurts when I move but it’s just not that bad compared to before,” Naruto stated.

“Well, go back to sleep. Maybe The Fox can still heal you a little more. You are red-eyed, so he must be doing something.”

“Giving me nightmares,” Naruto mumbled, “though it’s not really his fault. Just another side effect I guess.”

“Nightmares seem to be your thing, maybe you should ask The Fox to give you a few good memories for a change,” Sasuke replied as he rolled over. 

Naruto sighed and laid back down, grabbing an extra pillow to curl around as he rolled over. Closing his eyes, he was quietly and unknowingly led into the world of demons, it stretched out before him. It wasn’t just dark and lonely, like many paintings and books he had been shown said. The colors were bright and confusing, so many things going on he didn’t understand. And that smell ... 

_“Welcome to Enda.”_  


***

Kakashi arrived at the boys’ room around six in the morning. He unlocked the wooden door and opened it to see his barrier still intact. Placing his hand on it, he mumbled a couple words before it faded away. When he walked in, Naruto was sitting up on his bed, red-eyed and bushy-tailed, literally. He held up a clawed finger to his mouth and then pointed to Sasuke who was still soundlessly asleep.

“Naruto why are you like that?” Kakashi urgently whispered as he shut the door noiselessly.

“The Fox wanted to see if I could shift without being in pain,” he breathed back with his demon voice making it eerie, his eyes and right ear flitting suddenly when Sasuke twitched. “I already took my shower and got dressed if you need me right now. Just have to shift back and put my gloves on.”

“How long have you been awake?” Kakashi asked.

“An hour? Maybe longer,” the fox boy answered, gingerly leaving his bed and grabbing his gloves from the night stand. 

Kakashi watched in amazement as Naruto morphed back to his blue-eyed self while donning his gloves until the boy winced, wrapping his arms around himself. He stood straight, slowly hissing at the way his body was responding. Kakashi understood, he was better, but still dealing with some discomfort.

“Is there any chance I can stay in my red-eyed form? This healing is taking longer than he thought it would,” Naruto quietly asked as he walked up to Kakashi.

“Yes, it’s fine,” Kakashi answered before he turned to look at the occupied bed.

Naruto nodded his thanks, his eyes shifting back to scarlet and his tongue gliding along sharpened teeth, as Kakashi moved farther into the room. The overseer threw the blankets off the sleeping Uchiha and looked like he was about to speak before he thought better of it. Instead, he grabbed the mattress and threw it up causing the boy to land with a thump and a yelp unceremoniously on the floor.

“Time to get up Sasuke. Naruto has already showered, breakfast is in forty-five minutes,” he then walked out of the room leaving the Uchiha fuming.

Sasuke growled as he pushed himself up from the floor and then glared at Naruto. The blond tried to look anywhere but at him and then sidestepped quickly out of the room to follow Kakashi. Sasuke walked over and shut the door Naruto had left open, then entered the bathroom muttering about everything annoying in the world.

Catching up to Kakashi was easy enough, the man rarely seemed like he was in a hurry. The blond walked a step behind to stay in his good graces, he knew he messed up big time last night. Kakashi could have just activated the brand on his neck and let him have it. He had left without permission and disobeyed an order. He hoped his overseer wasn’t just delaying punishment for the sake of training.

Kakashi heard Naruto behind him and knew why he wasn’t walking on ahead. The kid knew what he had done would never have been forgiven at the compound without severe punishment. He was trying his best to be as obedient as possible now. Kakashi internally cringed at the idea of what he would be expected to do to them if they were there, make them so injured they couldn’t possibly run away for days.

The one-eyed, combat veteran stopped suddenly in the middle of the flight of stairs when he saw Inoichi waiting by the entrance to the dining hall. Naruto peeked around, looked up at Kakashi and then looked down at what hindered his movements letting a small growl slip. Kakashi watched Naruto hands fly up to cover his mouth, the boy peering toward Kakashi’s face while mumbling an apology between gloved fingers.

“He deserves it,” Kakashi confirmed before starting down the stairs again, Naruto right on his heels.

“Little bastard, are you having trouble controlling yourself?” the man called to Naruto overhearing the growl. Then, turning to Kakashi, he asked, “What exactly did your demonic, little simpleton do last night? You never told me.”

“Good morning to you, too,” Kakashi returned, not caring for his questions. “He is having no trouble, just healing himself up is all. Last night is none of your concern. Naruto, greet Inoichi, would you?”

“Good morning, Sir Inoichi,” Naruto said in the nicest demon echo he could manage.

“Hey, is that Naruto?” was heard from the dining area before Shikamaru’s head popped around the corner. “Can you help us in the kitchen? Some of the servants are cleaning up Ino’s room to perfection. She is such a drag.”

Naruto looked to Kakashi asking for permission and Kakashi waved him off. Naruto bounded around the corner and Shikamaru followed at a leisurely pace. Inoichi eyed him as he passed by, looking displeased with the decision.

“You are going to let him touch our food?”

“Sasuke and Naruto have both been trained in a multitude of tasks. If they are to guard an important figure, they might as well know how to serve them to the best of their ability so they never have to leave those things in some else’s hands,” Kakashi answered.

“You know that is not what I meant,” Inoichi spat.

Kakashi shrugged, far from caring, and walked into the dining hall. Shikamaru and Naruto were setting the table and Shikaku was giving the servants in the kitchen orders about breakfast. As soon as Naruto entered the kitchen, Shikaku gave him another task which the blond immediately began.

“You must have chastised him well. He is obedient today although I still hate the idea of him near my food,” Inoichi said as he watched.

“Kakashi, is there something you wish me to do?” Sasuke said as he entered the room still a little miffed about his wake-up call.

“Help Naruto in the kitchen, Ino seems to have claimed a few of the servants as her own,” was the answer given. 

Kakashi sat down as he watched Sasuke quickly help Naruto with washing the dishes, taking over the rinsing. He was amused at how annoyed it made the angel-blooded mind manipulator. The man wanted more reasons to hate them, wanted a good enough reason to make them into what he thought they should be. He was never going to receive a reason, at least not one good enough for Yamato or Kakashi.

The two came out carrying trays and setting them out on the table the same way they had seen throughout the weeks before, the few servants that got to escape the kitchen to help thanking them. Mrs. Nara was watching everything go down like a hawk, quickly correcting any mistakes. She knew Ino and Inoichi were a bit more meticulous about things. They weren’t tired like they were last night and would point out anything wrong with the spread.

Ino entered just as the ball rang proclaiming, “Right on time, as always!” 

“Ino, did you sleep well?” Kakashi asked.

“I did! After sleeping in the tiny place the Train station provided us with, this feels like a day at the spa,” she said happily.

“What’s a spa?” Naruto asked as he placed his own breakfast at his seat after doing the same with Shikaku’s.

“Probably some place she goes to get spoiled even more,” Sasuke answered while setting down Kakashi’s plate before taking his own seat with food in hand.

“Excuse me? How dare you speak to me that way! I am a lady,” she responded as she turned her head and crossed her arms. “It is a place to relax and feel refreshed. Ya know, hot springs, sauna’s, and all that.”

“Yeah, still don’t know what that is,” Naruto said with an uninterested look on his face. “Sounds sort of boring.”

“You just don’t understand refinement.”

Sasuke grunted and rolled his eyes and then began eating as soon as Kakashi did, Naruto following suit. Breakfast was uneventful other than Naruto getting asked to explain his appearance to Ino who still found it disturbing. Kakashi answered her questions while Inoichi tried to gain more information. All three boys began to clean up as the adults and Ino talked. 

Soon, after everyone was finished and things were cleaned up, Naruto and Sasuke sat tied to dining room chairs. An ankle to each front leg, and their wrists tied behind their backs. They were both staring at Kakashi with looks of absolute displeasure.

“Is this necessary for this training?” Sasuke asked angrily. “Or could this possibly be part of our punishment for last night.”

“A little of both,” Kakashi answered with a shrug. “This is supposed to be mental torture training. Did you think it was going to be comfortable?”

Naruto sighed and hung his head, “At least I’m not blindfolded or muzzled. Let’s just start this.”

“You’ll have to return to normal before I do. I will not enter your mind while you have any demon influences,” Inoichi stipulated.

Naruto grimaced as he lifted his head and pulled the demon energy away. The pain hit him like a train in the gut, the air being knocked out of him. He clenched his teeth and glared at the Sanctified jerk in front of him. His smile mocked him, he knew last night had weakened him considerably. Naruto didn’t know how, and he didn’t really care, but he was gonna chew this guy up and spit him out. Let the games begin.

Sasuke watched Naruto and waited with bated breath. Then Ino cleared her throat causing him to look her direction as she blew him a kiss. He was falling into nothingness and then found himself in a dark room. Was it a cave? No, wait, he remembered Naruto describing this place, well, a place like it. It even had a cage, thought it was small and without a demon fox.

Ino appeared before him with a mischievous look on her face as she tapped her index finger against her lips, “I am supposed to put you through the ringer according Kakashi and my dad. Apparently, the Tournaments are no joke. I wouldn’t know, I have never gone to watch. Let’s start with memories of physical pain, shall we?”

“What?” Sasuke asked before he was bombarded with the first time he was whipped at the labor camp.

His body automatically contorted into the position of him being shackled, and he felt the white-hot pain of the whip hitting his back. Only fifteen of these, Naruto had taken the other forty-five. He glared at Ino as each hit slammed into him. As soon as the fifteenth hit, he got thrown onto an invisible wall and felt straps and chains holding him there.

“Looks like this one might shock you a few times,” she said with mock surprise.

Sasuke fisted his hands ready for the feeling to rattle through his body, five different times. She than let the pain of a raw throat, burnt skin, and blown ears linger for a bit. Ino followed with every memory he had of the corporal punishments he had endured in the last six years. He fell to the floor of his mindscape wheezing, begging for air to fill his lungs.

“Are you ready to give up, or do you want to continue to try your luck?” the pale blond asked sickly sweet.

“Bring it on, bitch,” Sasuke growled, he knew it was only in his mind and soon, he’d find a way to join the game.

“What did you just call me? You’re too mouthy for your own good, fucker. I am done playing nice!”

There was fire and people running everywhere. Some for their lives, some towards the enemy, and then the enemy was running after him. He felt scared, no terrified. He looked at himself, he was small, covered in someone else’s blood and he had no idea what to do. Itachi, he needed to find Itachi, he’d know, he always knew. He needed to find him now.

Kakashi had watched as they fell into it, whatever world they went to. All four bodies were limp now, although, the boys would every now and then twitch. He was a bit worried he had to admit, Ino and Inoichi had a lot of pain to work with and he knew they would never take it easy on them. It would ruin their reputations. 

Inoichi had made sure Naruto was in a weakened physical state, but the kid knew his mind better than anyone. He had been going in there since he realized The Fox existed. Hopefully, that gave him a good advantage. Sasuke’s since of self was strong, Kakashi knew he could hold himself together. The boy knew who he was, and he’d never apologize for it. They would do well, he knew they would.

Naruto had entered his mindscape a few moments before Inoichi realized it. He sat against one of the bars of The Fox’s prison in wait. The pain was duller here but still made it uncomfortable to stand for long periods of time. He sensed his demon counterpart seething quietly behind him, hidden in the darkness.

Inoichi walked in, like he was entering him own throne room, “You must have a lot of hidden fears and doubts to need a cage that big.”

“Is that what you think is in this cage?” Naruto asked with a smile. 

“I know that is what is in that cage. Whenever someone puts something behind bars it’s so others can’t get to it. But maybe you’re right, it could hold your worse memories. I’ll find my way into it later,” he said as he looked up into the vastness of Naruto’s mind. 

Naruto watched him, waiting for him to start this little wicked entertainment of his. As Inoichi looked this way and that, he pulled glowing orbs out of the darkness, gathering them into one of his palms. He stopped and started viewing each orb like a precious gem in the light.

“I decided to go light on the physical pain, you are already weak enough as it is, but these should still be fun.”

Naruto then heard that laugh, that laugh he hadn’t heard since he wrapped a whip around the man’s throat. Mizuki. He was suddenly bombarded with slaps, punches, kicks, and the cracks of whips against him. Where one memory of physical abuse ended, another began. No pain ever dulling before something else was piled out top of it. His advanced healing didn’t help him here and he couldn’t take the man down again. It felt like it lasted hours and then it all ended unexpectedly. Naruto licked his lip, expecting to taste blood but this body didn’t bleed.

“Now what?” he panted out. “What’s next?”

“You’re ready to hit the ground running this soon?”

***

Sasuke had found Itachi and they watched his Mother and Father fighting for their lives as much as for their sons’. He observed Mikoto, his talented mother, kill and destroy so many of them but his father was trying to take on more than he could handle. Fugaku was pinned to the floor, them about to thrust a sword through his back, when Mikoto’s eyes began to bleed and the group of them screamed in agony as they erupted into black flames. Then it happened, twin blades pierced through his mother, then a third one came slicing through her neck. She fell down into a bloody pile of pieces.

Sasuke screamed, trying to scramble to her, Itachi holding him back. Their father rose up from the plank floor and the armor of darkness began to surround him. The dark green glow strange and unnatural, the energy mimicking metal plates and chainmail as it covered his body. It wasn’t a perfect transformation, few achieved that, but it was effective. The two men who had taken down Fugaku’s wife were ripped to shreds by his spirit weapons, the demon-blooded energy within them poisoning their angel blood.

Then his father fell, and that’s when he saw it. His father had already been dying, a wound so deep in his side Sasuke could have stuck his hand in easily. Sasuke cried. Itachi ran over yelling at their father, asking why he risked that attack if he knew it would kill him that much faster. Sasuke was losing his mind, he couldn’t take anymore, the burning of flesh, the metallic smell of blood, his clan disappearing before his eyes.

He growled as he finally broke out of it, glaring at Ino who looked bored, “How dare you use that against me, it was your kind that caused that. Your kind that call slaughter and torture a Cleansing. It’s my turn.”

Ino rolled her eyes, “You have no power here. You have no control over the mind.”

“You must not have researched the Uchiha bloodline very well,” Sasuke taunted as his eyes shifted to scarlet, the pattern within them swirling.

He figured this would work here, it was his mind after all, but something felt different in a good way. He smirked and then sent Ino into his hell. She stood there in the middle of the chaos, her purple well-thought-out outfit becoming covered in blood and fire filling her vision. She choked on smoke and then felt something hit her shoe. A blood-curdling cry left her throat when she looked down to see her father’s face staring back at her, his eyes half-lidded and mouth leaking blood and vomit.

“Let me out! Let me out now!” she cried trying to find a place to run.

“You’re in my mind, you can leave whenever you want,” Sasuke replied as he appeared before her carrying her own bloodied head by the hair.

Ino forced her way out, exploding back into reality, picking up her crying where she had left off. 

“He’s sick!” her trembling voice declared as she pointed to Sasuke just starting to become conscious. “He’s disgusting, and I am never going in his mind ever again!” She stood up from her chair and marched up the stairs.

Kakashi, Shikaku, and Shikamaru then turned to look at Sasuke who had begun laughing, “I guess she can’t handle a Cleansing well, maybe seeing herself beheaded was a bit too much, but it was so much fun.”

“Sasuke, that sounds a bit overdone,” Shikamaru said as his nose wrinkled up. “Did you behead anyone else to get her attention?”

Sasuke eyes turned to Inoichi slumped in his chair, “Just one other person.”  


***

Naruto watched their bodies burn again, and again, and again. He tried to close his eyes, tried to ignore it but it was impossible. There was the smell, the popping sounds, and their ash floating around him. He hated it, he wanted it to stop. He was on the floor, holding his head chanting things to himself, telling himself it wasn’t his fault. None of it was his fault.

“Oh, what is this?” Inoichi said interrupting the chants coming from the boy. “A memory that isn’t yours? Interesting. Here I was trying to figure out why you have holes in your own and found this gem. What else are you hiding, little demon child?”

“It’s probably his,” Naruto answered the first inquiry still reeling. “And what do you mean by holes?” Naruto asked as he slowly raised his head to look at the man.

“Don’t act ignorant. There are pieces missing, slots of memory that have been moved. I don’t know how you did it, but you put them somewhere. Are they in that cage behind you? Those slots were your worst days weren’t they, your worst fears? Worse mistakes?”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, he may have done something with them.”

“Who is this ‘he’ you have mentioned twice now? And where is your stupid demon. I thought I’d at least sense it by now.”

Naruto started laughing and then felt himself get pushed against the bar behind him, forcing him to stand up.

“I will not put up with you much longer. This memory might not be yours, and I may have no idea whose it is, but why don’t you just live in it until you hand over that stupid demon of yours. I will rid you of it somehow, proving what I can do for the council.”

Naruto found himself in a familiar house, small and worn. Then he heard the people coming for the door. No, not this one, he didn’t want to feel this one again. In moments the searing pain of the man forcing the seal open filled his abdomen, and moments later the rod went through his torso. The memory stopped there and then went in reverse before repeating.

Naruto screamed, begging to be saved from this. He was too weak right now, his body was starting to give in. He slammed a fist against the floor and growled through clenched teeth. How many times had he been skewered now? He didn’t know, he didn’t care, it just needed to stop, and it did.

Naruto looked up at Inoichi, but his torturer looked confused and narrowed his eyes as he started to walk over. Naruto moved so he sat back, arms around his stomach, until he felt the cool metal of the bar behind him again. What had happened?

_“Naruto come to me. I am tired of you taking his shit.”_

“What the hell was that?” Inoichi whirled around, searching for the source of the echoing voice. 

“You asked for my demon, I guess he decided to bless you with his presence,” Naruto breathed out as he carefully stood up, a hand never leaving the cool metal, walking into the jailed darkness.

The man watched the boy disappear into the veil of shadows but didn’t dare follow him. His demon? Demons of the possessed were like ghosts, wisps of dark energy that clung to weak parts of the mind and took over. Inoichi believed they could be driven out by overloading the mind. He didn’t see anything of that nature right now, and to hear it speak. That was absurd. Maybe the boy was crazy and had another personality within his psyche.

Naruto felt the darkness encompass him as he walked further into the cage. He had never entered it before knowing this was now The Fox’s realm. He made it a dozen or so feet inside before his legs finally gave out. He tipped forward, landing on something soft, something covered in long fur and sighed from relief. Whatever he was now lying on, moved, curling towards something bigger, something huge that radiated heat like an industrial furnace. 

_“Can you manage any copies of yourself?”_ The Fox’s familiar echo asked barely breezing by his ear.

“How many do you want?” he quietly asked as his eyes started to close.

_“Give me just three and let me play.”_

Inoichi watched as three Narutos slowly walked out of the cage. His eyes went wide when orange-red mist surrounded them, entering their noses and mouths. Soon, red eyes popped open, their bodies growing ears and tails with black markings appearing on their faces. He heard a dark snicker.

_“How do you like my puppets?”_ the voice suddenly echoed. _“My little marionettes want to have a little fun.”_

The Fox was going to enjoy this, no matter how short lived it would be. Forcing one of Kushina’s memories on Naruto, the one of her death, had been the final straw. The Fox only showed those to him when the boy asked or when the journal mentioned them. If the boy had wanted to remain ignorant for a while, he would have supported that wish too. He was a victim of circumstances, not a toy.

Inoichi tried to find the source of the voice. He wouldn’t believe it was in those bars, wouldn’t believe it had an actual physical form. He saw the three weird Kitsune tsuki, but those weren’t the demon. Where was the dark shadow of the thing, he would drag it out if it took him all day.

“Show me where you are demon. You may have a voice somehow, but I refuse to believe you can actually hurt me!”

The Fox sneered at the angel-blooded bastard looking around like a blind man, _“Now, my devilish kits, enjoy your plaything. He is no longer welcome here.”_

Without a moment of hesitation, they charged forward on all fours, razor-sharp teeth bared and claws out. Inoichi didn’t understand what was going on. He tried to dodge but felt claws and teeth sink into his skin before they attacked again from elsewhere. It was a fury of movement, punches, kicks, bites, and slicing hands, dodging became a fruitless endeavor. He felt himself growing weak which should have been impossible. He was in control, he always was. When they finally backed away, Inoichi hoped the attack was finished before he was suddenly pinned against one of the bars by a blast of wind and a swirling pool of water.

“What the fuck is going on here? I am in control, how is this happening!?” the Sanctified man yelled trying to break free. 

One of the blond Kitsune tsuki held the wind at a constant blast, the other kept the water tight and swirling, and the third waited. Inoichi noticed the third suddenly turn his head to look inside the prison, his ears twitching. He quickly jumped straight up as a gargantuan, dark orange, razor-clad paw closed around the bar, curling its claws around the captured man.

_“Have you not been begging to meet me, you power-hungry Empyrean? Now, GET THE FUCK OUT!”_

“No, not yet,” he heard Naruto say quietly. “Show him, he didn’t want to just meet you, he wanted to see you.”

Inoichi was released from bondage and the huge paw drew back. A billow of hot breath blew against him and when he looked up to the source two huge, predatory, red, slitted eyes glared down at him over a large and sinister, monster grin. One paw, and then another came to sit on either side of him extending through the bars, claws tapping on the floor. He was a gnat in the presence of a god.

He backed up trying to take it in, the shadows still hid most of the creature but that made the experience all that much more frightening. What all was hiding behind that barricade. If it’s head was that big, what about the rest of it. He had never imagined a demon being so massive, so atrocious. 

Naruto appeared, leaning against the giant creature’s nose just inside the cage, “You can leave now. I am done with your games.”

“You may have that thing inside of you, but it seems to me he’s caged. How are you going to make me leave?”

“I’m not, they are,” Naruto stated simply as the three Kitsune tsuki tackled Inoichi down to the ground. “Kill him.”

“What!?” he screeched.

“Don’t worry, you don’t bleed here, though I kind of wish you did. I seem to be craving blood,” Naruto announced before Inoichi saw a sharp toothed mouth coming towards his throat.

Sasuke had pushed Ino out of his mind over an hour ago. He now sat watching Naruto and Inoichi intently, Kakashi pacing behind him. His sight picked up changes in their auras, but he was still frustrated. What was going on in there? What memories was that man digging up? What was The Fox doing?

Holding his throat, Inoichi stumbled out of his chair once he reentered reality. The blonde demon child still sat, head hanging, limp and lifeless. Kakashi and Sasuke looked at him without a hint of concern and then to Naruto. 

“What is inside him!? That is no normal demon!” Inoichi demanded.

“Just The Fox,” Sasuke answered as he came to kneel in front of Naruto.

Kakashi nodded in agreement, “Why, did he give you problems? I thought you were going to flush him out.”

“Shut up! That thing was locked in his mind, hidden behind bars and could make these things, these Kitsune tsuki,” Inoichi ranted with annoyance. “He is not just possessed he is already taken over, friendly with that thing like its his best friend or something.”

“He is,” Sasuke responded. “Why isn’t Naruto coming out of it? What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything other than what was expected,” Inoichi hissed.

Naruto stayed leaning against The Fox’s snout moments after the three demon-influenced copies disintegrated. What he said to Inoichi before the man left was true. He hadn’t realized it until then, but he was literally craving blood. He looked at The Fox and swallowed hard.

“You said there were other side effects I should be aware of, but I never gave you a chance to explain. Blood, I want blood.”

The Fox slowly pulled his head away, _“You were supposed to only turn it one click, just one. You would have still enjoyed raw meat but wouldn’t have the craving for blood yet. But you had to push your luck. You are turning into a demon, you and I, we are integrating,”_ The Fox drew his front paws together interlocking his toes and claws, _“You are now taking on more of my qualities than before. Ears, tail, markings, and bloodlust. You will become a demon soon, as much as Sasuke will if he reaches his full potential. The Uchiha and the Uzumaki. One had demon eyes and one could handle demon power.”_


	14. Blood Ties

Naruto came back to reality met by scarlet eyes. Sasuke was kneeling in front of him with a concerned expression until the blond blinked a few times. He took a deep breath and tried pulling his arms free, drawing Sasuke’s attention to the ropes still tied around his wrists. Naruto started working on the ropes around his ankles as soon as his hands were available. He didn’t say anything, afraid to look at anyone. What had he done?

“Naruto how did it go?” Kakashi asked when the usually excitable blond didn’t move from the chair.

“It went fine. The Fox took care of it at the end with a little help from me,” Naruto answered staring straight ahead at the floor.

“That thing is not just a fox, it’s a giant monstrosity,” Inoichi began to yell but stopped when Naruto abruptly rose from the chair.

“May I go into the forest?” the Uzumaki asked. “I need some time to clear my head.”

Kakashi tilted his head, eye squinting, “You think I’d let you after last night?”

“I promise I won’t go far,” Naruto insisted.

“Naruto I can’t allow that right now. You are under punishment as well as Sasuke.”

“Can I go onto the patio then?”

“What happened? What’s wrong?” Sasuke asked interrupting Kakashi’s answer to the question. “You said everything went fine but you aren’t acting that way. You act like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

Naruto closed his eyes in frustration. He hadn’t called up any demon energy to mask the pain he was in and he wasn’t allowed to get away from anyone. He could smell it, smell their blood and now he had realized he yearned for it. It frightened him.

What the hell had he done? Blood, he was wanting blood. He should have listened to The Fox, should have told Kakashi about the key in the beginning. He shouldn’t have pushed the seal more without asking. Should he tell them about this? Would they hate him? Would he be in even more trouble? He was a monster, a real one.

Kakashi came to stand in front of Naruto observing his distress. He looked at Inoichi who was staring at the boy like he might explode. 

“Inoichi, you need to leave.”

“Why? I didn’t do anything that caused him any extra harm. He is the one who threatened me with death in there, talking about wanting to spill my blood,” the man argued.

“Leave Inoichi, go find Shikaku and complain to him. I know that’s all Ino is doing to Shikamaru. I have things to discuss with my trainees that you are not a part of,” Kakashi demanded.

“You have no authority over me, Kakashi. Those kids are one thing, but I am one of the purer Empyrean families. How dare you-,”

Inoichi stopped as soon as Kakashi’s hand was wrapped around his throat, “I do not have patience for you anymore. You have thrown your privilege around enough. Get out or I’ll skewer you without a second thought, you know I can.”

Inoichi narrowed his eyes about to leap into Kakashi’s mind until he felt his hair stand on end from what felt like static. When he turned his head slightly, the Uchiha stood behind him with electricity running down his arm and eyes red. The Uzumaki joined him not a moment later, his eyes now scarlet, and sharp teeth bared.

“You’ll bleed here,” a dark echo came from the blonde’s mouth. “Please let me make you bleed,” he said as a tongue ran along his teeth and lips.

Inoichi shuddered when the threat from earlier seemed a very real possibly. He put a hand on Kakashi’s wrist, pushing it away slowly and left the room.

Kakashi watched the man leave and then looked to his students. Sasuke only looked angry and annoyed as usual but Naruto look surprised and then apprehensive.

“I messed up. I-I don’t know what to do. I should have listened, should have asked more questions, should have realized-,“ Naruto began and then stopped himself as tears began to form in his eyes.

Sasuke was confused by Naruto’s sudden outburst, “Did Inoichi do something? Are you ok?”

“Naruto you need to explain yourself, we are both very confused by your behavior,” Kakashi added.

Naruto shook his head, “Inoichi didn’t do anything, I did everything. The Fox said there would be side effects and I didn’t care as long as they wouldn’t kill me. I should have let him tell me before I even considered loosening the seal. I mean, I still would have at some point, I don’t want him trapped in there but this, I don’t know how to fix this.”

“Fix what? You are barely making sense. Side effects, I get there would be some of those. But other than the nightmares returning and you growing foxlike features, what else is there?” Sasuke asked a bit skeptical.

“His nightmares have come back?” Kakashi asked before Naruto began rambling again.

“Sasuke! If you had to guess, what do you think demons eat or drink or whatever? Just think, ok. The Fox, no matter how much you and I want to think of him as something good, is the goddamned Lord of Demons. These extra abilities I have are his, what do you think the price to pay for those are? Why do you think I like raw meat, why do you think I act more feral when I am like this? Fuck! What have I done!?” Naruto pleaded with himself, his breathing escalating, breaths growing frantic.

“Why would I know that? What, they supposedly love to kill and destroy,” Sasuke started arguing and then stopped suddenly. 

Naruto stared at him and waited, waited for it to truly hit him, square between the eyes. Sasuke just stared down at the floor, his eyes growing bigger as he thought it through. He blinked and took a hard breath.

“You’re craving blood, is that was this is about?” Kakashi questioned with a tilt of his head and a wave of his hand. “That’s easy to fix. How often?”

“What?” Naruto questioned unbelieving in his lack of anger.

“How often do you need it? Is it even a need or just a lust after it? I need details, Naruto.”

Naruto swallowed, and his eyes darted from side to side as he presented these questions to The Fox. He had left his mind so quickly he hadn’t even thought about those possibilities.

“Depends on how often I drip into his power. If I need to be stronger, it can become a need and if I get weak enough. Most of the time it will just be me lusting after it. The longer I go without it, the more powerful that lust becomes until it feels like I need it as much as air,” Naruto relayed. “He says with training for The Tournaments coming up, probably once a week, on a regular compound schedule maybe once a month.”

“Blood, you need blood,” Sasuke repeated still wrapping his head around it. 

“Both of you, stay right here. I’ll be back,” Kakashi ordered as he left the room.

“It’s because you opened the seal more, right?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded and watched as Sasuke thought it through.

“Does it matter what kind or just blood in general?”

“The Fox prefers angel blood, but any will do,” Naruto answered waiting for Sasuke to call him an idiot or worse.

Kakashi walked back in with a few supplies and then sat down in one of the chairs the boys had recently occupied. He rolled up one of his sleeves and began to tie a tourniquet around his bicep.

“Sasuke, a little help?”

“Uh, sure,” the dark-haired boy answered as he began tying it off. Kakashi quickly opened a wipe and cleansed the nook of his elbow.

“Kakashi, what, why, you don’t need to do this,” Naruto started sputtering.

He shrugged as he pulled out a butterfly needle, unwrapping it, and finding his vein, “Obito needed blood every now and then, I am pretty used to it. I figured you two would need it eventually.”

He had the needle in a vein, tourniquet untied, small tube, blood vial connected, and blood flowing with practiced ease.

“Obito is who this eye belonged to, Sasuke. I fought along side him during the last rebellion. When the rebel side lost, they killed him and cursed me with his eye thinking I would hate myself for eternity because of it. Thought you’d finally like to know,” Kakashi explained before either one of the boys could ask questions. “His demon abilities were advanced enough he needed blood too and I volunteered.”

He quickly pulled the blood vial from the apparatus and removed the needle before placing a cotton ball over the puncture in his skin. He tossed the fresh blood Naruto’s direction before cleaning up.

“You should be glad I always bring this stuff with me out of habit. That should be enough for the week if The Fox is correct,” Kakashi continued as Naruto and Sasuke just stared. “I’ll explain more later, I promise. Naruto down that and then both of you go outside to do larger scale elemental exercises until I get out there.”

Naruto did as he was told, popping the stopper off and downing the metallic tasting liquid like a shot of medicine. It tasted amazing, little earth, little lightning some nice angel qualities to top it off. Naruto shook his head in disgust at himself as he licked his lips. 

“Let’s go, idiot,” Sasuke called, holding the back-patio door open as Naruto stuck the vial in his pocket.

Kakashi shielded his eye from the bright sunlight as he walked out. Naruto and Sasuke had a large, swirling hurricane of fire between them. It was starting to singe the grass of the clearing. He made a signal that let them know to change to the water and lightning mixture. Naruto slammed his hand on the ground creating a geyser of water extinguishing it before Sasuke began adding his lightning. 

Their training continued with more elemental manipulation. An hour in, Ino and Shikamaru had come out to observe. Ino was still furious with the Uchiha even though he looked rather good right now, literally flexing his shirtless muscles out there in the glade. Shikamaru knew there was more to them than this and decided to have bit of fun.

Naruto was standing on the surface of his pool of water practicing energy control when he saw a shadow slinking around the small ripples. He dropped to all fours and wished he was as shirtless as Sasuke. His sweat-soaked shirt clung to him making moving quickly quite uncomfortable but letting the seal show on his stomach would cause more serious problems. Soft growls began escaping his throat as the shadow moved closer. He launched himself into an aerial cartwheel to escape the tendrils that came reaching for him landing a bit clumsily atop the wet surface.

“Shikamaru, nice,” Kakashi commented. “Naruto, you need to keep avoiding those while staying on top of the water.”

Naruto nodded in understanding before Kakashi turned to Ino, “Can you try to distract Sasuke as he practices his water walking?”

“I am not going in his head, if that’s what you’re asking,” she warned, “but I can think of other things.”

Sasuke was practicing slow, smooth movements as he concentrated staying atop the water. They were exercises Itachi and him had used to stay flexible and aware of the way their bodies moved. He felt a sudden tug on his mind and then his arms jerked uncontrollably in a way that sent him falling into the water. He climbed on top of the wet surface and looked at Ino who wore a sly smirk. His eyes activated immediately, Kakashi was upping the training.

Kakashi had worked them through lunch as part of their punishment, causing them to collapse into the shallow pool of water Naruto had created when they finished. He chuckled when they both tried to push themselves up and failed. Naruto finally rolled over and with a wave of his hand a couple deer came trotting out to meet them, Sasuke greeting them. The things these boys could do, he doubted he could put many more students through the exercises he forced upon them.

After they had showered, the boys dragged themselves down the stairs practically falling into their seats at the dinner table. They fell asleep beside their plates as soon as they had finished eating. Shikamaru decided to join them as the adults and Ino had conversation.

Inoichi was still demanding to know what exactly was inside Naruto and Ino was confused by it all. A demon was a demon, right? Sure, there were different forms, shapes, and sizes, but that didn’t mean much, did it? Maybe the thing just looked huge in Naruto’s mind, maybe his mind was skewing it into his own idea of a protector. She didn’t know, nor did she really care. He wasn’t the one who had faced imagines of himself being beheaded. She left the table soon after, annoyed with his father’s frustrations.

Shikaku sat listening. He had left after the first hour of the boys being tied up to run some errands and take care of things around the property. It was interesting to hear everything he missed. Inoichi had found him earlier to complain about the company he kept, but his ranting barely made since until now. He had seen The Fox, what an enlightening experience. 

Kakashi sat in a state of indifference. He gave short answers to questions he was asked but refused to fuel Inoichi rantings more than needed. The man used to be a being of quiet intelligence. It seemed as though times had changed. He was all about The Council lately and proving himself to them. What had happened in the meetings he was allowed to attend?

Kakashi heard a faint scratching and looked to Naruto. His gloved fingers were twitching, the exposed claws scraping against stained wood, and his breath had started to become uneven. Sasuke opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at the blond with heavy lids.

“Hey idiot, wake up. It just one of your stupid nightmares,” the Uchiha said quietly, nudging the blond.

Naruto’s red eyes opened slowly, and his head rose up from the table like he barely had control over his neck, “What’s up? Do you need me to do something?”

“You were making marks in the Nara’s table, so I woke you up.”

“Oh, sorry. I should probably just go to bed. I didn’t even realize I had passed out,” Naruto mumbled as he stood up.

Kakashi nodded, “You both should, you are going to have another early wake up call tomorrow. Hopefully I don’t have to dump either of you out of bed.”

***

The rest of the week was do or die training working with the Naras and Yamanakas. Sasuke and Naruto pushed through each day full of the insanity Kakashi threw at them. They knew they deserved it and were going to prove they were willing participants. Kakashi was impressed, they didn’t complain except for a few sarcastic comments.

By mid-morning on Saturday, Sasuke and Naruto were already breathing hard. Kakashi had sent his hounds after them and they were running through the forest like prison escapees. Thankfully, Naruto had fully healed up by the second day, but this was ridiculous. Sasuke had agreed, these dogs were phantoms or something. They would think they lost them and then they’d appear right behind them, ready to take a bite out of their asses.

Naruto was high in a tree trying to catch his breath when he heard them coming his direction. Sasuke had decided splitting up might be a good option, but the dogs seemed to pick teams easily and had no problem dividing up to chase them both. Naruto made a wet mist surround his area to try to drown out his scent.

_“Give them something fun to chase. They are hounds, they should enjoy chasing after a clever fox.”_

Naruto smiled and looked around to make sure he was deep within the forest before he opened the flood gates. Going straight from his blue-eyed form to his fox one was always a rush. He’d only done so a couple times when others wouldn’t physically notice even if they sensed it. 

He felt his ears morph and teeth grow. His long claws now digging into the tree behind him as his tail twitched just at the tip as he took in his surroundings intently. Sasuke was nearby, just a half dozen or so trees over and the dogs were closing in on him too. Naruto jumped from tree to tree using all fours until he rested a few branches above the Uchiha.

“Why are you using that form right now, they are just dogs?” Sasuke whispered as he looked up knowing full well Naruto could hear him.

“Thought I could have a little fun,” Naruto answered almost hanging upside down with his head cocked to the side.

Kakashi had felt the release of demon energy from the clearing. Of course, Naruto would want to test that out in this situation. Hopefully he wouldn’t get cocky, a few of his hounds didn’t take well to arrogance. He heard barking and howling suddenly explode from the trees and figured the Uzumaki had shown himself just enough to rile them up. He was definitely acting more like a fox.

An hour or so later, Kakashi stood as he called everyone in from training. Sasuke and Naruto came zipping out of the tree line with the hounds right on their heels a few moments later. They raced past Kakashi standing on the patio to leap onto the roof of the inn, leaving the dogs to bark at them from the ground below. Naruto was laughing hysterically and Sasuke wore a smug grin.

“Kakashi, those things are a nuisance!” Biscuit growled.

“The fox one, or whatever he is, thinks pranking us is part of the training. Creating copies of himself by the dozen wasn’t part of the deal. His scent was all over the place. He just lounged in a tree while we were on a wild goose chase!” Pakkun snarled.

Kakashi turned and lifted an eyebrow in the blonde’s direction which just seemed to make him laugh harder, “You should have seen their faces! It was hilarious!”

“Then we come to find the Uchiha we’d been chasing was also one of his stupid copies transformed and wearing the kid’s shirt, so it had his scent!” Biscuit yelped in annoyance.

“The rules of the game were that I couldn’t attack you, and I didn’t. I just had a little fun,” Naruto chuckled as he sat down on the roof, legs hanging over the side. “Seems to me, you can’t handle fun.”

“It wasn’t a game, it was supposed to be serious training!” Pakkun snapped at the boy.

“I thought you’d all enjoy chasing a fox around, ya know. Guess not,” Naruto answered back. “Even Bastard here, enjoyed himself,” he added jerking his head in Sasuke’s direction.

“It was entertaining watching the eight of you run around chasing copies while we got to rest for a bit,” Sasuke agreed as he joined Naruto on the edge of the roof.

Kakashi had to quiet the growling canines before they started scaling the inn to rip apart his trainees, “Settle down! Naruto is right, he didn’t break any rule I had put into place. They were supposed to keep from getting caught and they did just that. I apologize if you find Naruto’s methods a bit childish, but they are effective. You may all go; the training is complete.”

The dogs grumbled as they each disappeared in puffs of smoke, Kakashi turning to look up at the two perched on the roof, “Really Naruto, giving them a good, old-fashioned fox chase?”

The blond shrugged with a huge grin plastered across his face, “I haven’t been able to test that form much and The Fox mentioned it could be fun.”

“The idiot’s fox form did excite them quite a bit, all he had to do was dart in front of them and they lost it,” Sasuke commented as he dropped from the roof onto the patio. “If I ever get a summon, it won’t be a dog.”

Naruto dropped down, “Toads are pretty awesome, maybe they’ll be your thing.”

“I would rather something with a bit more stealth.”

Kakashi rolled his eye, “Summons sort of choose you, too. I don’t know how the toads thought Naruto was the one for them, but I have a lot in common with my hounds, so it only made since.”

Sasuke shrugged and then heard the lunch bell from inside. He looked at Kakashi waiting for permission. Would they be allowed lunch today? He really hoped so, he was starving. Kakashi nodded in approval after reminding them they needed to take quick showers first and Sasuke, along with Naruto, ran in.

By the time their plates were empty and their stomachs full Kakashi had made a decision that he might regret. His trainees had pushed themselves all week and had succeeded in everything he threw at them with very few hiccups. They deserved a break and, it being their last night here, he thought he’d let them enjoy a night out. 

“Do you guys have any good, clean clothes?” Kakashi asked as he sat back in his chair.

Naruto lazily looked over at him, Sasuke already nodding, “Yup, we washed all of them last night since we are leaving tomorrow.”

“We were planning on packing everything tonight, so it will be all ready for morning,” Sasuke added.

“In that case, you need to wear something clean and somewhat nice. Ino is taking you to a festival tonight. You should enjoy it, it’s celebrates the Eve of Asmodeus.”

“Really, you’re going to let them?” Ino squealed and then turned to Sasuke and Naruto. “I already bought you better clothes just in case. I had one of the servants take them up to your room.”

“This can’t be good,” Sasuke commented.

“As long as it’s not orange scrubs, I’ll deal,” Naruto commented fishing something out from between his teeth.

“Please don’t do that while we are out. I want you to actually meet people, not be disgusting,” Ino cringed.

Kakashi smirked behind his mask, “You two are to treat the festival as a type of assignment. You must know where Ino is at all times. She is who you are keeping safe. Understood?”

“Yes, Kakashi,” the boys said in unison.

“That being said,” Kakashi started as he shifted and reached into his back pocket, “here is a little money for you to buy food and maybe a few other things. It is a festival after all.”

Sasuke reached for the cash offered and divided it up, “What is the Eve of Asmodeus?”

Ino smiled as she answered, “It is one of the few demon holidays we can celebrate in Empyrean territory. People dress up as demons or demon-like things and celebrate Asmodeus, King of Demons.”

_“That’s not my damn name,”_ The Fox growled in annoyance. _“And king is such a pompous title.”_

“Supposedly, we have the festival to keep him from destroying our cities and ourselves through immoral, lustful, or prideful desires, which is a little weird because tonight that’s what people will be doing. Dancing, gambling, eating until they are stuffed and dressing up to look good. Seems a little backward but I guess it makes him reasonable if we do it one night a year,” Ino finished as she got up from her seat. “I am going to start getting ready, I only have an hour or two. This is going to be so much fun,” she squealed before running up the stairs.

“Asmodeus, King of Demons, huh” Sasuke said as he looked at Naruto.

Naruto chuckled, “If she says so.”

A couple hours later, after using the free time to pack and get themselves ready, Naruto and Sasuke sat in the foyer waiting for Ino. They had to admit, the clothing she picked out wasn’t half bad. They were both wearing dark jeans that were rather comfortable. Sasuke’s shirt was a short-sleeve, black, button-up with bright blue pinstripes with panels of blue along the sides. Naruto’s dress shirt, on the other hand, was black with orange stitching and a fox head embroidered on the back. Ino had provided coordinating ripped tank tops for their outfits as well. Naruto left his shirt unbuttoned while Sasuke had his buttoned half way up.

Ino came down the stairs in an ensemble that was purple, fishnet, with a touch of midriff. She claimed it showed just enough for her age without being too provocative. She was wearing dark make-up to add to her costume which she called a “budding succubus.” She was only thirteen after all, she couldn’t participate in the adult events of the festival yet. The boys rolled their eyes at the skin-tight pants and purple halter top she wore. She claimed the fishnet that covered the open back and her forearms somehow made it seem less sexual, if that was possible.

Ino led the way into the city square, passing by the shopping area Naruto and Sasuke had already visited, while prattling on about social status and fashionable costumes she had worn the other two years her father had allowed her to attend. She mentioned, now that she was of age, she was allowed to attend until eleven at night, right before the more adult activities got into full swing. She finally stopped her babble when they entered the square full of booths, the scent of food, and a large tent in front of a more modern looking building.

“Ok, are you guys ready for some fun?” Ino asked before turning to look at them, rolling her eyes and making an annoyed sound. “Come on, demon it up a bit.”

“What? Demon it up?” Naruto squawked back while Sasuke grunted as he gave her some side eye.

“Are you both slow? Do the red-eyed thing.”

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other questioning whether Ino was insane and then Sasuke turned to her, “Yes, let’s do, Naruto, and get whipped for looking threatening.”

The blond girl in front of them shook her fist of painted nails at them and then growled, “You are supposed to look like demons tonight, if anything, people will be impressed with your costumes.”

“But they aren’t costumes,” Naruto argued.

“No one will know! Trust me, this is the one night you can totally get away with it,” Ino answered and then spread her arms wide. “This night is probably the one night when you can feel a true taste of freedom. Come on!”

Sasuke tilted his head and looked to Naruto, this was more of a risk for the Uzumaki than it was for the Uchiha. His scarlet irises were a bloodline trait, the blonde’s, on the other hand, marked him as a literal demon wearing human skin, as much as his bars did. Sasuke watched his friend’s blue eyes dart back and forth as he looked at the ground. He was probably having an internal dialog with The Fox and himself.

“Is he ok?” Ino asked.

“Give him a second, he’s been whipped and beaten for those eyes since he can remember, to showcase them in public is a big decision,” Sasuke answered. 

_“It’s a night for the King of Demons, right? Why not let my eyes see it?”_ The Fox mused. _“They won’t even know the thing they are celebrating is really there. I sort of wish they did so I could tell them my actual name.”_

“What is your actual name? It’s obviously isn’t ‘The Fox’,” Naruto questioned internally before clarifying the issue at hand. “Are you sure about this? I promised never to show this side of myself in angel territory.”

_“Kit, it’s a demon festival. If they didn’t want demons attending they shouldn’t celebrate it. Plus, she is your temporary master, just tell Kakashi she ordered you.”_

Naruto cringed at the thought of being Ino’s servant but, in this instance, it did have a slight advantage. He lifted his head and looked at Sasuke as a grin spread across his face.

“Demons do belong at a demon festival, right?” he offered as he shifted to his demon state making sure not to push it too far.

“That they do,” Sasuke replied, his eyes red pinwheels as he took in the scene before him. “Seems to be quite a few Forsaken out here.”

“Oh, so cool. Demon bodyguards, this is gonna be so fun,” Ino stated happily.

The next few hours of daylight were innocent fun. Ino played a few games daring the two boys who shadowed her to do better than her scores. They usually won because they weren’t chivalrous, as she put it. Sasuke excelled at the bow and arrow booth while Naruto easily won a few goldfish giving them away to some smaller kids they walked by. They also stopped for some food, Naruto wishing he could ask for some raw dishes but knew that would be pushing his luck.

As they continued to meander among the vendors and small productions of angel and demon events, Ino seemed to attract quite a bit of attention. Her clan was as well known as her father had bragged, plus she was far from ugly. Sasuke and Naruto tried to ignore the people that would stop to talk to her, not really wanting to draw attention to themselves.

Naruto was looking around, his hands deep in his pockets, before he noticed that the large tent was about to be opened up. He nudged Sasuke to get the raven’s attention and they both watched as the cloth doors were spread showing off flashing lights and a deep stage inside. Those weren’t actors on the platform, but a group of people with instruments that looked familiar but a tad different. They could pick out the guitars but they weren't thick and hollow, and the drums were black with shiny metal decorating them. The people messing with the instruments were dressed in clothing similar to theirs, far from the black-tie attire they had been shown of ballroom musicians.

“Yes! The underage club is about to open up. This is the best part of the night!” Ino exclaimed as she grabbed the boys’ gloved hands pulling them in that direction.

“We don’t have to do dumb dances, right? They are so slow and stupid looking,” Naruto whined as he looked at the band and Sasuke grunted in agreement.

“Guys, this is a club, not some ridiculous banquet. The dancing in here will not be slow,” Ino tried to explain. “What kind of dances do you know?”

“You know that stuffy, rich people kind. One hand on the girl’s waist, then hold her other hand in yours. Maybe a few spins and bows and crap,” Naruto answered.

Ino laughed loudly as they reached the small group of teenagers waiting for the makeshift club to allow them in, “The dancing in here will seem scandalous to you then. Let’s just say it is fast, and edgy, and possibly sinful.”

Ino was amused by the way the two Forsaken looked at each other in utter confusion. She would need to talk to Kakashi about educating them more about life outside their compound’s walls. She knew she didn’t know much about their world but weren’t they supposed to end up working in hers? They should be better cultured. She hoped they had a good sense of rhythm because there was no way they were getting out of this without dancing a bit. She had seen them move, there was no way dancing would be difficult, right?

The inside of makeshift club was loud, crowded, and a bit overwhelming Sasuke decided. The flashing lights and deafening music had both himself and Naruto covering their ears and trying to find a quieter place to observe while they figured this place out. Naruto then jerked his head up, motioning to the metal rafters of the large tent.

Sasuke got close enough to Ino to be heard over the music, “We are going to be right above you for a bit. We’ll come down when we feel comfortable enough or if you suddenly feel threatened, ok?”

“What? Fine, but you can’t stay up there all night. When my friend gets here, you are joining us!” she yelled back.

Sasuke nodded before Naruto and himself parkoured up the skeleton of the structure until they sat along the crisscrossing metal beams above Ino. They could easily see most of the workings of the place without dealing with all the racket. They watched the band and dance floor with open curiosity. They also noticed the servers with drinks and plates of appetizers weaving through the crowd. 

Ino was ordering herself some food at the counter on the left side of the tent while entertaining a few people that had gathered around her and neither boy was surprised. Her outfit seemed to glow under the purplish lighting spaced out within the rafters and the way she held herself wasn’t modest in any sense of the word. 

Naruto actually found some of the outfits amusing, horns and forked tails seemed to be the norm and others were wearing very garish false fangs. There were definitely plenty of people wearing colored lenses, whether they were red, orange, or yellow. Then he noticed the more researched attendees. They were dressed as just darker versions of animals people were already familiar with, no one would ever be able to outdo him in the fox department though if he shifted farther. He heard Sasuke “tch” and followed his glare.

A group of people entered sporting outfits baring the Uchiha clan insignia. The red contacts they wore bared no resemblance to an actual Uchiha eye. They were being loud and obnoxious declaring they had the great demon eyes and could burn anyone to a crisp with one glare. Sasuke scowled and looked to Naruto in annoyance.

“That’s disgusting, if we mocked them like that they’d have us beheaded,” Sasuke snarled.

“You’re probably right,” Naruto commented and then smiled. “Hey, they are headed towards Ino. I wonder if she will open her big mouth.”

“I know you would,” Sasuke scoffed.

Ino was leaning on the bar with her elbows behind her, against its surface, when she noticed the group of Uchiha impostures. She tried her best to not look their direction while speaking to another girl who was asking where she got her outfit and who did her nails. She spared one small glance up and noticed Sasuke’s eyes following the group while Naruto spoke to him. She doubted the true Uchiha was impressed with their display.

“Any ladies want to bed an Uchiha tonight,” the oldest of the four announced.

Ino couldn’t help but gag at the thought. Not only was she not interested in going that far with anyone tonight, but they were the rudest things she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Grabbing girls who immediately tried to push them away and getting in their faces like they were begging for more of their attention. She observed a few of the bouncers already taking notice and looked up again to see Sasuke leaning over, glaring at the scene, with Naruto looking very similar.

When they got to her she didn’t even offer a small smile in greeting, “Just go away, I am the farthest thing from interested. Sanctified trying to bed girls by presenting themselves like that, how humiliating. An Uchiha would never be so ridiculous.”

“Oh, and you would know how an Uchiha would act, would you?” the leader countered as he leaned in, placing a hand on either side of her against the counter.

Ino sneered in response, placing a hand on his chest and giving him a good shove, “I’ve met one, and he’s pretty low key. He glares a lot but knows how to keep his mouth shut.”

“Their clan was wiped out, you haven’t met shit.”

“What family are you actually from, because your aura feels as muddy and polluted as sewage.”

“Why you little bi-,“ the boy began to yell bringing his hand back before he heard feet hit the ground behind him and a felt hands grab his hand and elbow twisting it behind his back.

“I can’t allow you to hurt her,” Sasuke said as he peered from behind the taller boy. “Ino, is everything alright?”

“Yes, Sasuke. Everything is fine now. Did Naruto come down too? I think I may be needing both of your services,” Ino answered as she looked to side to grab her virgin drink without worry.

Naruto dropped down into the small space beside her as soon as Sasuke looked up. He smirked a little and then looked at the guy who was now just staring at him like he had grown an extra head.

“Who the hell are these two!?” the teenager demanded as he tried to get his arm free. 

“They are my bodyguards-in-training. Naruto Uzumaki is the blond, and the one twisting your arm, well, he’s Sasuke Uchiha,” Ino answered before offering her drink to Naruto which he took, and she pushed off the bar. “I doubt Sasuke was too impressed by your antics.”

“I want to rip the fake clan crests off all of them if that says anything,” Sasuke responded knowing he couldn’t openly threaten them. “What do you want me to do with him?”

“Just let him go, looks like the bouncers already kicked out the other three, they’ll come back for him shortly,” Ino answered before she turned around and ordered two fresh drinks for Naruto and Sasuke.

Before Sasuke could release him, he took a swing with his free arm at Naruto in front of him and the demon jailer ducked so he wouldn’t drop Ino’s beverage. The raven answered the failed punch by kicking the back of his knees forcing him to kneel and tightening the hold he had on his arm. 

“Hey look, you’re shorter than me now,” Naruto responded as he stood back up, making sure the little umbrella in his temporary master’s drink was still seated at the perfect angle. “Those contacts look ridiculous on you, ya know” he smiled.

The scarlet-eyed blond watched as the kneeling angel-blood shook at the sight of his glowing rows of sharp teeth. He figured they would look rather eerie under the interesting lighting and was happy to see they did get a reaction. Ino turned around holding two drinks in her hands and glared at the kneeling boy before looking around the tent.

“Where did those stupid bouncers go? I didn’t know he’d take a swing at you Naruto but knew you could handle it,” Ino stated when she turned around, before a bouncer came from behind the bar to grab the kid and throw him out. She offered the man a smile in thanks.

“Sasuke, I got you an Executioner, it’s a drink with mainly tomato juice so I thought you’d like it. Naruto, I kind of guessed but I ordered you a Kitsune, not only for the name, but because it’s citrusy which seems to fit your personality. They are both virgin versions since none of us are old enough for alcohol.”

“Thanks, Ino!” Naruto exclaimed handing her back her own drink and taking a sip of his. 

Before he could say anything else, their blond charge started squealing and weaving through the crowd. Naruto and Sasuke followed and stopped when Ino grabbed and hugged another girl with pink hair. The girl’s hair wasn’t hot pink or dark pink, but pink like some of the flowering trees they had noticed on the outside edge of the compound. When they finally got a look at her face, she had emerald green eyes, and a pretty smile. She was wearing a sleeveless red dress with a flame like pattern.

“Ino Pig, I see you found me. Sorry I got here so late, the trains were off schedule,” her voice said as she pulled away from their hug.

“It’s ok, Forehead. Things haven’t picked up too much yet although you missed several guys embarrassing themselves,” Ino replied back.

“Oh, did I? That’s sad,” the rosette answered and then looked worriedly at the two boys observing them. “Ino, why are these two watching us so closely? It’s kind of freakin’ me out.”

“OH! Sorry, I totally forgot you wouldn’t know them. So, these are my bodyguards for tonight. Pretty cool, huh?” Ino said in explanation.

“Bodyguards, but they are our age, right?”

“Yes, they are in training. I was allowed to borrow them for the festival since I have been helping them get ready for The Tournaments. This one,” she began motioning to the raven, “is Sasuke Uchiha and his partner here, is Naruto Uzumaki. You guys, this is Sakura. She’s a good friend.”

Sakura looked at them and then back to Ino, “There’s no way, weren’t those clans eliminated? I thought I remembered studying that in class.”

“They decided keeping me alive was in their best interests,” Sasuke answered before Ino could with a cold glare. “Naruto got lucky, thankfully, his parents saved him.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it, I’m sorry. I just, we were just taught-“

“Well, what you are taught is only one side of things,” Sasuke interrupted. “Ino, what do you want us to do?”

Naruto had remained quiet throughout the exchange. This new girl was kind of cute even if she was ignorant. She seemed to be a bit taken back by the way Sasuke had spoken to her, but she also looked like she wanted to deck him. He smirked at the thought of her throwing a punch Sasuke’s direction, he’d watch that fight.

“You two are going to dance with us,” Ino answered the Uchiha. “I told you I would make you dance before this night was over. Were you guys studying the dance floor at all while you were up in the rafters?”

Sasuke looked annoyed by the idea, but Naruto smiled causing Sakura’s eyes to widen, “Oh, we have been. Sasuke can learn things instantly with his sight, but I am a pretty fast learner. I think I can figure it out.”

“Such a waste of my abilities, but yes, I would know what to do on the dance floor,” the vexed Uchiha answered.

“Ok, let’s do this!” Ino exclaimed.

“Wait, we are going to dance with them? I mean, aren’t they just trained to protect you and stuff?” Sakura asked as Ino hooked her arm around her own and led her to the area of pulsing lights and moving bodies.

“Oh, they can do tons of stuff. Trust me, they won’t disappoint,” Ino responded as they entered the crowd, Naruto and Sasuke right behind them.

Sasuke watched as the girls found their rhythm and answered their movements with a few of his own. The current song, if you could really call it that, was one of the slower ones so far but still upbeat. Naruto was picking up on things quickly as usual and Ino was cracking up because the blond boy had no issue with showing off in this situation. She began pulling out more daring moves of her own in response.

Sakura seemed a bit more restrained, at least she had a bit of modesty compared to the blond idiots. Sasuke decided to forgive her for her comment earlier and encouraged her to enjoy herself a bit more. At first, she seemed a bit confused when he grabbed her hand and set her into a small spin, bringing her back so he held both her hands, her arms closed in front of her and him behind her, but not touching her. She then quickly ducked and spun herself around so she was facing him again and was smiling.

Sakura had to admit, at first the idea of being near these two Forsaken trainees terrified her, but this dark-haired one, Sasuke, wasn’t so bad. What she had said was probably not the best first impression and so far, neither one had done anything questionable. They were dancing with them without getting touchy feeling like some of her kind thought they had the right to do at this festival. He was actually making her feel rather comfortable and she starting to let go a little more.

She watched Ino giggle as Naruto, she was sure that was his name, danced around her blond friend making goofy faces to get her to laugh harder. He was a little freaky looking currently and seemed to be a bit of a big personality just like Ino, which made their shenanigans even more ridiculous. Ino had turned around, pretending to ignore him, and he slid up to her and hip checked her feigning innocence when she turned around to him, hands on her hips and the prettiest scowl on her face. She then began and impromptu dance off when the next song bled out from the last and had much stronger bass line and faster beat. 

Sasuke smirked and decided Sakura and himself should join this friendly competition. He moved away from Sakura to join Naruto and mirrored Naruto’s moves perfectly causing the scarlet-eyed blond to smile almost evilly at the realization this had become boys against girls. Ino looked at them both with narrowed eyes and then looked at Sakura and gave a sharp nod. The girls pulled some crazy routine out of the air, that had some acrobatic sort of moves mixed in and when they finished their little number motioned for the boys to answer back. 

Naruto cracked up, and Sasuke grunted. Oh, they could beat that easily. Sasuke threw a stylized punch at the Uzumaki knowing he would dodge and answer with a spinning low kick that the Uchiha would jump to avoid. They continued to do a dance inspired spar where no punches or kicks landed but had them moving and flipping around each other to the rhythm. 

Ino watched and loved every moment, this is what she’d been waiting for. They were dancing but in a way that only they could, and it was awesome. She pulled Sakura in the middle of their movements which caused her friend to squeal in surprise. Ino caught the other blonde’s light punch in the palm of her hand and then began pulling out the few break dances moves she knew to see how he would react. He raised an eyebrow but mimicked them. Oh, he was definitely a fast learner.

Sakura’s eyes closed when she saw a punch headed toward her face but only felt air as it flew by her right cheek. When her eyes opened Sasuke was smirking at her. She smiled back, and then grabbed the gloved fist next to her face and pulled him back into dancing with her. This was a lot more fun than she had expected and Sasuke seemed to be enjoying himself despite his earlier attitude. 

By the time the four of them left the dance floor, they were all hot and covered in sweat. Ino and Sakura went up to the bar to order drinks while Sasuke and Naruto stood a step behind quite happy with themselves. This was definitely worth putting up with Ino for, never had they been this amused without good spar or prank being involved. They were handed drinks not but a few moments later and led to a table to sit down.

“Well, you two have passed your club dancing test,” Ino exclaimed. “That was the best time I have had at this festival. You two killed it!”

“I have to agree with Ino Pig for once, that was tons of fun,” Sakura nodded as she played with the little orange umbrella decorating her glass.

“Glad we could be of service,” Naruto exclaimed while Sasuke just glared.

“How much longer do you plan on keeping us out here?” the Uchiha asked.

Ino took out her phone and checked the time, “We still have around an hour, so that much longer.”

“Maybe we should go outside. I need some fresh air,” Sakura commented as she began to fan herself.

They all decided to head out into the cool, clear night and Sakura left their company half an hour later when her parents texted her phone. Naruto had just enough money to grab a few shish kabobs from a vendor as they started on their way back to the inn sharing them with Sasuke as Ino was updating her social networks on her phone, whatever that meant. 

Kakashi was waiting in the foyer when they walked through the door, Naruto and Sasuke surprised that he wore a very stern expression. 

“Get changed quickly, grab your bags, and meet down here in as little time as possible. We need to get on the next train out of here,” he announced as soon as they shut the front door.

Ino was stunned into silence as she watched the two boys immediately sprint up the stairs and then regained her composure, “What’s going on? I thought you didn’t need to leave until morning.”

“Your father reported the boys as threats while you three were at the festival. I guess having them go out in public with you was his final straw. I am sorry, Ino,” Kakashi answered. 

Shikamaru and Shikaku appeared coming out of the dining area with bags in their hands and handed them to Kakashi.

“Here is some food so you don’t have to show yourselves too much until you’re in Mephistophelian borders,” Shikaku began. “If they come here looking for you, we’ll let them know it was a false report.”

“What exactly did he report?” Ino questioned as Sasuke and Naruto came down the stairs with their bags. “They haven’t done anything wrong, have they?”

“No. This isn’t your fault. It’s nothing you need to worry about. Get ready for bed and calm down. Your father will be arriving back shortly, we need to go,” Kakashi stated, thankful when he saw his trainees wearing darker colored clothing and Naruto already having his hood up. “Wish us luck.”

Sasuke and Naruto each grabbed one of Kakashi’s trunks while he got the rest. When they walked out the door the confused blond girl hoped and prayed that the festival crowd would help them not be noticed. Thankfully, the train station was not far away, and a train left every fifteen minutes to somewhere. What was her father thinking?


	15. Just Relax

They had made it on the train. Sasuke was sure Kakashi called ahead, maybe even bribed someone at the station. They had their own little private room with two bunks, four small beds, to sleep in that had a door to cut them off from the rest of the train. Naruto was sitting across from Sasuke on the other bottom bunk as they waited for Kakashi to return. He left to use his interesting, little phone to make some calls.

Sasuke had no idea where they were going, he knew Naruto was in the same boat. The train finally started moving which startled his idiot friend. He wondered why he was so jumpy, they were safe now. The train had left the station, no one else could get on it. Naruto finally tugged his hood off, dropping from the bed to crawl to the window peeking out like a toddler which amused the Uchiha greatly.

“What are you doing? You thinking they are running beside the train?” Sasuke whispered mockingly.

“Shut up. I freakin’ anxious, ya know,” Naruto whispered back as he returned to the bunk. “That Inoichi guy is about as friendly as fuckin’ Hibachi.”

Sasuke grunted in agreement, “What exactly did he see when he went into your mind, by the way?”

Naruto snickered darkly, “The Fox made cute, little puppets out of a few of my copies. Little demon foxes to mess with him. Inoichi didn’t like it at all.” He moved his hands like he was operating marionettes then laughed even harder, “Oh, it was so much fun.”

“That’s kind of messed up. So, you are saying he actually saw your fox form without realizing it?”

Naruto was now covering his mouth as he folded over laughing, and when he lifted his head again, scarlet eyes full of devious amusement stared at him.

“It was so entertaining, Demon Eyes. You should have seen how I used the little blonde templates Naruto gave me. Oh, his fear, you could practically taste it,” a dark, low, rumbling voice came from the blonde’s grinning mouth.

Sasuke’s eyes widened, he had seen The Fox take some control of Naruto before, but never in the middle of a calm conversation. This wasn’t just some either, that wasn’t Naruto at all. If the drastic voice change didn’t give it away, the even wilder hair, devilish facial expressions, and overly feral movements did. He watched as The Fox cocked Naruto’s head to the side and narrowed his red eyes.

“Ah, I see. You aren’t fully comfortable with meeting me yet,” he began as Kakashi walked through door and then took half a step back when confronted by Naruto’s odd look. The demon jailer’s head turned to Kakashi, still tilted to the side, “Hello, demon trainer, were you able to make those phone calls? Naruto has been worried.”

“What the hell?” Kakashi questioned. “What’s going on?”

Naruto abruptly shook his head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sasuke noticed the claws become sheathed, and the idiot’s features become normal. Blue eyes opened, and he looked at Kakashi sheepishly.

A nervous laugh escaped his lips, “Sorry, The Fox became excited by the question Sasuke asked me. He wanted to answer it, too. He kind of wanted to introduce himself a little.”

“Well, that was different,” Sasuke commented. 

“Naruto did you let him, or did he do it himself?” Kakashi asked in earnest. “That can’t just happen randomly, you know that.”

Naruto nervously rubbed the back of his neck, “I let him, I thought Sasuke was used enough to the idea of him to not feel threatened or anything. He would never ask if he knew it would cause serious issues,” Naruto finished, swallowing hard as he looked at the floor.

Kakashi came to kneel in front of Naruto. These changes were concerning him. He knew he told them he expected them to need blood eventually, but Obito said he hadn’t needed it until he was around sixteen or seventeen. Plus, Naruto’s transformations were like him breathing, so natural to him now. 

Kakashi put a curled finger under Naruto’s chin, to lift his face up so he could get a good look at him. Naruto flinched, possibly expecting to get slapped. Kakashi knew that was what he dealt with for the first seven years of his life, it was a hard reaction to break. There it was, his teeth looked slightly sharper in his normal form already and his ears were just a touch more pointed. Nothing too noticeable, but it was there.

“Sasuke, did you notice?” Kakashi asked as he removed his hand still looking over Naruto.

“You’re talking about the small changes to Naruto. Yes, but I doubt anyone who didn’t know him would catch them,” Sasuke answered.

Naruto, confused, asked, “What, what’s going on?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Kakashi answered standing up. “Just things I need to keep track of. Are you thirsty yet? It’s been almost a week.”

Understanding, Naruto shook his head, “I don’t feel it too bad yet.”

Kakashi nodded and then decided to answer The Fox’s question, “I was able to make those phone calls. We have a place to stay within Forsaken territory for the rest of our time before The Tournaments. It’s not an inn but a former comrade’s cottage so you will need to be polite and respectful. She is an interesting lady and can train you in ways I can’t. I also called Yamato to let him know about Inoichi and to update him on your progress.”

The boys nodded their understanding before Kakashi explained this trip would take the whole night. He had them take one set of bunks while he slept on the bottom bunk their opposite. He had made sure to lock the thin door that separated them from the rest of the train. Once he was sure they were asleep, he took even more precautions by placing a barrier around their small room. He knew, one could never be too careful.

***

Sasuke woke up wincing at the dull pain in his eyes. He probably should let Kakashi or at least Naruto know. He figured it was from the severe training that they had been going through. Thankfully, his sight didn’t seem to be affected even if they throbbed. He raised a hand and placed his middle finger and thumb on his temples and rubbed in small circles.

“Are they hurting you, your eyes?” Kakashi’s voice wisped through the darkness.

Sasuke turned his head in the sound’s direction, “Yes, since Wednesday. It’s probably just from training.”

“No, probably not. Your eyes will cause you pain every time they are about to change. I know you've read about the different stages,” Kakashi commented as he got up and walked over to squat in front of Sasuke so they were face to face. “They will bleed when they hit the next stage.”

Sasuke nodded, “Yes, I read about it, but it mentioned tragedy or traumatic life events being the catalyst for change.”

Kakashi turned away and chuckled softly, “You don’t think being forced into slavery, through harsh training, and then heading to a ridiculous event to entertain the people that wanted to murder you, that could lead to your death, isn’t traumatic?”

Sasuke just swallowed and closed his eyes against that information. It was true, he had been hiding it well, but he was starting to get nervous. In a month they would be facing ridiculous odds without Kakashi there to yank them out of harm’s way. They would need to rely on each other whole heartily or fail. Sasuke didn’t like failing to begin with but when failing included death that made it absolutely unattractive. 

A quiet laugh escaped his lips, “Did you enter us into this just to get rid of us, Kakashi?”

Kakashi turned to face the young Uchiha in front of him, “You think I’d piss on Obito’s memory like that? I hope you get to tear a few of those Empyrean bastards to pieces. They deserve it.”

“You’re one,” Sasuke whispered.

“That I am, one that was forced to endure things for the cleansing of the world and look where that got me. My dead friend’s eye embedded in my socket, and then every right ripped from me until I proved I deserved some of them back. I may be one in blood, but I find that title a curse that I refuse to live under,” Kakashi answered back. “I prefer being Tainted.”

Sasuke just looked at him not knowing what else to say. Kakashi, reaching out, patted his shoulder telling him to try to get a little more sleep before they reached their stop, that’s what he had gotten the beds for. Sasuke then rolled over, pulling the blankets over his shoulders and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly and so did odd dreams.

***

They stood on a worn-down train platform. It looked a decade past needing a new coat of paint and the signs and billboard were faded so much that they were illegible. Kakashi pulled out the small book the boys hadn’t seen almost the entire time they were at the Nara’s. He then walked over and sat on a wooden bench that sounded like it would collapse any minute. Sasuke and Naruto were too tense to join him.

This place felt eerie. Naruto could see the town just a little north of the train station, but it looked to be abandoned. There was no noise except the wind rustling the leaves of the few trees surrounding the area. He turned to Sasuke who seemed to be as skeptical of this destination as he was. He had heard a few people on the train mentioning it rarely stopped here.

“Did you feel that?” Sasuke asked suddenly.

“I know you say I am an idiot a lot, but yeah, I felt that. Someone else is here, but where?”

They both backed up until they were on either side of the bench where Kakashi calmly sat reading. Their overseer flipped to the next page without worry while his students’ eyes darted around the area. Sasuke felt a shift in the wind and whipped his head in that direction. Naruto heard a footfall in the other, his fingers twitching. Kakashi stood up suddenly, tucking his book into one of the large cargo pockets of the pants he wore and lifted an eyebrow.

“Kurenai, are you finished playing with them?” Kakashi asked the air. “They might actually attack you if you continue.”

A swirl of leaves blew around the platform and a dark-haired woman with two-toned burgundy eyes appeared among them. She wore a small smile and a simple knee-length dress. She then preceded to walk up to Kakashi and crossed her arms.

“They do seem very interesting, as you said. The Uchiha boy already has a knack for illusion?” Kurenai asked.

Sasuke looked at her with wide eyes. Had she actually been in front of them the whole time? How had he not noticed? She had to be very skilled to mix illusion with reality so easily. 

“Yes, he does but only when it comes to torture or distraction. He hasn’t made the step to tying it in with reality,” Kakashi answered her. “Naruto can get out of his illusions, but he can’t create his own. He is more of a brute force kind of guy.”

“So you said over the phone. You also mentioned he has quite a relationship with his demon,” she commented as she walked to stand in front of the blond. “Well, we should probably get going. The walk to my cottage is a bit far but nothing you boys can’t handle.”

The trip was forty-five minutes long while dragging all their luggage even with a few of Naruto’s copies to help lift it all. It took them into a wooded area that one would never see from the railroad tracks. It wasn’t like the Nara’s forest, it looked young, with sunlight easily filtering through the trees’ branches. Some of them were covered in buds and other’s already blooming. They stopped at a small clearing that housed a charming cottage with flower boxes in the windows.

Kurenai opened the front door and led them inside, “Just leave your bags and trunks here for now. We can always move them later. There are two bedrooms on the second floor and we’ll have to share the one bathroom unless you boys want to bathe in the stream out back.”

“Are we all sleeping in the extra bedroom then?” Naruto asked as he dropped his backpack to the floor.

“I am afraid so, but on nice nights maybe you’ll want to sleep outside. I have made an extra hammock just in case,” the friendly woman explained.

“May I go outside?” the blond asked as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, “Only to the back and no farther than the stream. This place isn’t exactly close to anything so be careful.”

The blond knucklehead went flying out the backdoor he had spotted through one of his copies’ eyes before dismissing them all. Sasuke watched the screen door slam shut and heard Naruto whoop with excitement. The idiot was so easily pleased.

“Sasuke, you are not going to join him?” Kurenai questioned as she walked in the same direction as the back door before turning to the right.

The raven followed her into the kitchen with Kakashi only a few steps behind him, carrying the bags of food the Nara’s had given them earlier. It was a small but airy kitchen, with large windows and bright cream walls with some dark purple accents. She put a deep pan on the pot belly stove before grabbing some vegetables out of a basket. Sasuke walked over to help her wash them.

“I am curious about your abilities, Miss Kurenai. I have never seen what you did before,” Sasuke began. “Can I learn it?”

“Possibly, but it will be different than my own. Plants work with my style of illusion. Yours could be birds, snakes, rain, who knows.”

Sasuke nodded in understanding as she handed him a rinsed potato to dry. He turned when he heard a cabinet open, Kakashi grabbing several plates within to set out the fruit, bread, and cheese from the bags sitting on the counter. He then went to the back door and called out to Naruto. The blond came in and looked at him expectantly.

“Get your knives out of the gray trunk and hunt down a few rabbits for Kurenai’s stew, would you? Clean them before you bring them in,” the older man stated, and Naruto was quick to obey running back out the door, knives in hand.

“Naruto!” Kurenai called out the window over the sink and Sasuke watched as the blond turned to look at her before going any farther into the small woods. “Three should be plenty!”

“Got it! I’ll be right back!”

Kakashi snickered as he returned to the counter to cut up the cheese, “That boy has enough energy to power one of the Sanctified’s mansions. Give them as many chores as you want Kurenai. You are allowing us to stay here for free.” 

“They’re just kids, Kakashi. I will not abuse their abilities like so many others,” she replied back as she pulled out two cutting boards, handing Sasuke one. “Would you grab two knives out of the drawer to your right, Sasuke?”

By the time Sasuke had helped Kurenai cut the onions, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms, Naruto had returned to the backyard and was cleaning three rabbits near the bank of the stream. Kurenai then asked Sasuke to go into her cellar, the far door at the end of the kitchen, and grab a sealed jar marked vegetable stock and a bottle of red wine. 

Returning from his small errand, Sasuke observed Kurenai pouring water into the large pot she had placed on the stove while Kakashi bought in wood from outside to get the oven going. Naruto, now inside, was butchering one of rabbits on a large cutting board on the small dining table. Sasuke handed Kurenai the objects she had requested of him and she began to add them to the pot.

“Naruto, I only need one of the rabbits for the stew, I will be jarring the other two. Grab two large jars out of the cabinet over by the small fridge, will you?” the woman suggested. “Sasuke, please add the rabbit as soon as Naruto is done cutting up the one.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Naruto and Sasuke both replied.

Kakashi looked at Kurenai with a small smirk, “Nice to have a few people around to help you, isn’t it?”

“It is, and they are so obedient. It’s sad to know what they went through to become this way,” Kurenai commented as Sasuke walked over and began gently dropping rabbit meat into the beginning of the stew.

Kurenai turned around and joined Naruto at the table to begin placing the extra meat into the jars before adding salt and pepper to start the pressure canning process. Kakashi had already gotten out that equipment and Sasuke was stirring the stew waiting for more instructions. That is when she realized both boys were still wearing their gloves.

“Oh, I should have reminded you two, you are welcome to take off your gloves. You’re in demon country now.”

Sasuke immediately let go of the ladle he had been using and took off the gloves to throw them on the floor. Naruto didn’t bother since they were already a mess from cleaning the rabbits and he was still in the process of butchering them. When he finished, he went outside and stripped the gloves off himself, rinsing them in the steam.

As soon as Naruto walked back in, Kakashi ordered them to sit and eat something before doing anything else. Kurenai had already removed all evidence of the skinned rabbits from the table and the plated food Kakashi had prepared was set in its place. Naruto and Sasuke sat and ate as Kurenai and Kakashi nibbled on their own plates of food while finishing up preparing the stew and canning the rabbit meat.

“Shouldn’t we be helping still?” Naruto asked.

He felt so uneasy watching them still working while he relaxed. He wasn’t used to this at all. He rubbed the hair at the nape of his neck as he continued to wearily eye the two adults working. There was a part of his mind that had him thinking this was a trick or test and he might fail if he didn’t lend a hand. As soon as he shifted to lift himself from the chair, Kakashi spun around and pointed at him with a narrowed eye.

“Don’t you dare. I told you to sit and eat and that’s what you are going to do,” Kakashi ordered.

“But, I-“

“Naruto, you aren’t at the compound or in Empyrean territory. This is the freest you are going to be. I still expect you two to train but rest is also a part of training. Just calm down, breathe, and enjoy the food the Nara’s gave you,” Kakashi explained.

Sasuke offered him one of his orange pieces as Naruto tried to relax into his chair, “I’ll trade you this for another piece of that white cheese.”

***

The rest of the day involved helping Kurenai get the cottage ready for their stay. She had little time to plan for it herself, she had only known about since last night. Sasuke and Naruto set up the extra room and had found that Kakashi had left to walk into town to grab a few things Kurenai had needed when they returned downstairs. They found their hostess down by the stream doing laundry.

“Would you like any help?” Naruto asked after taking his boots and socks off, wading into the stream to scoop up bubbles that were drifting into the water from the fabric.

“Sure, but don’t go any further in. There is a sudden drop off and the water will be over your head,” Kurenai answered and then gasped as Sasuke lunged forward, pushing Naruto into the deeper water.

“Idiot, I thought she told you not to go in any further,” the Uchiha mocked with his head high and tilted to the side as Naruto rose to the surface.

The Uzumaki glared at him with narrowed eyes as he tread water until a sinister grin spread across his face. A current suddenly pulled Sasuke toward the blond and the boy cursed as he slipped off the drop off. Sasuke bobbed to the surface of the water and then splashed Naruto in the face while sneering.

“You know, I can still electrocute you!” Sasuke yelled as he dived for the blond.

“We’re both in the water, you’ll get yourself too!” Naruto answered back.

“I can handle it though. Lightning is one of my elements, moron!”

“And I am so used to it, I’ll recover in seconds, bastard!”

“You got my clothes soaked, you talentless dolt!”

“What, did you think I was naked when you lunged at me!? Oh wait, maybe you wish I was,” Naruto answered back with a waggle of his eyebrows. 

“Oh, you are going to die!” Sasuke screamed as he dunked his comrade.

Kurenai had been trying to suppress her laughter but couldn’t contain it anymore, “Boys, boys! Stop! This is not helping me at all.” She continued to laugh as they unrelentingly splashed each other while climbing out.

“Sorry, Miss Kurenai,” they both replied once they were on the bank.

“It’s no problem. One of you could rinse while the other finds a way to dry them?” she suggested.

***

Kakashi returned to a quiet house. Kurenai was in the front room reading a book and smiled to greet him.

“The boys fell asleep in the hammocks outside. I figured I didn’t need to wake them until dinner,” She reported as the masked man handed her the bags of the items she requested.

“How were they? Did they get into any trouble?”

“They did start a mini water war in the stream before helping with laundry but nothing too terrible,” she answered. “So, Naruto, water element?”

“Water and wind actually, did you not notice his tattoos? Sasuke is lightning and fire,” Kakashi replied.

“You know I hate depending on those stupid markings.”

Kakashi chuckled, “I remember. You took most of your earrings out as soon as you escaped into this type of freedom.”

“I certainly did,” Kurenai declared with a small smile. “Naruto has the bars, but you said he’s not exactly possessed. What did you mean by that?

“I am going to say it the way Naruto says it, he possesses a demon, he is not possessed by one.”

Kurenai lifted an eyebrow, “Is that suppose to be some kind of riddle?”

“Sort of, I bet you’ll find the answer out soon enough,” Kakashi replied as the person in question walked through the back door rubbing his eyes. “Naruto, were we talking too loudly and woke you up?”

“Maybe but I am kind of feeling thirsty now,” Naruto responded as he looked to the floor. 

“I can get you a glass of water,” Kurenai began until she saw Kakashi shake his head.

“Ah, well, it’s been a week. It’s to be expected,” the gray-haired man returned.

Naruto nodded but kept his eyes low and head bowed. Kurenai was a bit confused by this exchange but observed Kakashi as he knelt down in front of Naruto.

“Can you wait until later tonight after we have explained a few things to Kurenai?”

“I think so,” the blonde answered quietly. “I am smelling it though and it scares me.”

Kakashi nodded at this, “Well, it’s new to you. I’d be a little surprised if you loved the idea.”

“I didn’t mind it until I needed it,” the boy whispered, “when it was just a way to learn things about my opponents. Now, I want it and it’s, it’s, I am a monster.”

Kakashi stood up, blue eyes following the man’s face, “You’re not a monster, Naruto. Trust me, I have seen monsters and they have far worse habits and needs.”

Naruto side stepped a moment before the back door opened as Sasuke walked in rubbing his temples.

“Ah, and your eyes are still bothering you, I see,” Kakashi stated and Sasuke grunted to the positive.

“His eyes hurt?” Naruto questioned as he looked at his teammate. “Are you ok, Sasuke?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Supposedly they do this before they change.”

“Oh, I guess sometimes being a demon-blood sucks for both of us, you know, when it affects us like this,” Naruto commented.

“Oh, it is that time of the week for you then?”

Naruto nodded with a small smirk before asking, “So, when are we having dinner? I’m starving.”

“I am so confused,” Kurenai confessed. “I tried to follow it, but I am bit perplexed how everything is connected.”

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, “As I said about the riddle, you’ll have your answers soon enough. And yes, Naruto, we can have dinner now. Both of you,” he said as he eyed his students, “set the table, Kurenai and I will serve up the stew.”

They ate in happy silence other than some muffled slurping and compliments about the food from everyone. Even if the day had been a warm one, the hot stew seemed to hit the spot. Naruto was still confused how Kakashi ate without anyone seeming to notice when he would remove his mask to do so. He must be a magician or something. Sasuke was having similar thoughts, he would notice the food disappearing but never seemed to catch the man mid-slurp.

Even after three bowls Naruto didn’t feel satisfied, he knew why but didn’t want to admit it again. He could feel the demon energy wanting more control, wanting the blood that he could smell around him. The white-hot feeling was pooling in his gut and slowly coiling up his spine. He wanted to give in, he knew Sasuke or Kakashi wouldn’t be surprised if he did. 

“Hey, Idiot, you’re not falling asleep again, are you?” Sasuke asked as he watched the blond almost melt into his chair.

Naruto shook his head in answer to Sasuke, his tongue licking his lips as he winced. The Uchiha then looked at Kakashi from the corner of his eye, was the man trying to see how far he could push this? The raven didn’t think this was wise, especially with them under as much stress as they were. If the Uzumaki’s thirst was as uncomfortable as his throbbing eyes it was silent torture.

By the time they headed to bed, Sasuke noticed Naruto pupils fazing between slits and circles. It appeared to be agonizing for him to swallow and he had refused to get physically close to anyone, isolating himself like he had leprosy. 

When they entered the bedroom, Naruto asked, “Will it bother you if I shift? I promise I won’t hurt you, but, I think, it will relieve some of this.”

Sasuke looked at Naruto in slight shock, “I have never worried about you hurting me, Naruto. Why would I worry now?”

“I literally need to drink blood, that’s why. Fuck, this hurts,” Naruto growled.

“Shift then, idiot! It’s not going to bother me,” Sasuke insisted realizing the pain was more than his thirst, he was fighting against the other half of himself.

Naruto gasped in relief as soon as he dropped the internal dam, but he watched Sasuke just to be sure of his reaction. Their scents were so much stronger now. The pain had lessened but the thirst grew stronger. He could deal with this. Only fighting one need was easy, fighting them both had been torturous. He raked a clawed hand through his hair and sat on one of the small cots in the room.

“Feel better?” Sasuke asked as he sat across from him on the floor.

“Yes. It is weird that being in this form somehow makes it easier to deal with the thirst?” Naruto asked hoping Sasuke wouldn’t be appalled.

Sasuke shrugged, “You were fighting against that side of yourself, weren’t you? It would make since if you just got rid of half your battle. I imagine if only one of my eyes hurt, instead of both, it’d feel a bit better.”

“Too bad we don’t have an easy solution for your problem.”

“Yes, because drinking blood to quench one’s needs isn’t frowned upon at all.”

“Kakashi’s coming with Kurenai,” Naruto announced. “Do you think he’s mad?”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, “Why would he be?”

The door was pushed open and Kurenai looked like she had a headache as she followed Kakashi in. Then her eyes landed on Naruto causing her to gulp, turning to look at Kakashi with concern. 

“All that demonic energy is coming from this poor boy?” Kurenai questioned while walking over and kneeling in front of him, placing her hands on his knees.

Naruto leaned back and swallowed hard wincing, “Please, don’t get so close right now. It hurts.”

“It hurts?” she asked.

“Yes,” Sasuke answered as he followed Kakashi over to one of his trunks to help grab the necessary items to solve Naruto’s issue. “In a few minutes it shouldn’t be a problem.”

The woman swiveled on her toes to watch the other two gathering supplies, “What’s going on?”

“Naruto, explain The Fox, would you?” Kakashi replied.

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to think of an easier way to explain, “Miss Kurenai, do you know anything about seals?”

“A little, why?” She asked as she turned her attention back to the boy in question.

Naruto gingerly got up, finding his bag and pulled out his book on sealing techniques. He opened it to the section on Reaper Seals, handing it to Kurenai. She looked at the pages, and then back at the blond in front of her trying to figure out how this applied to anything.

“I possess a demon, and I call him ‘The Fox’,” Naruto began as he stood in front of her and lifted his shirt. “My father died using the seal on the second page to cage him inside of me.”

Kurenai’s eyes widened as she looked from the boy’s stomach to the book reading what the seal entailed. A life sacrificed to seal away immense power. Why would this boy’s father do that, why seal a demon inside of him?

“Why, why would your father doom you with this?” she asked.

Naruto lowered his shirt as he blew out a breath lifting his bangs, “He didn’t doom me. My mother was doomed by the damned jerks who came to cleanse my clan, The Fox was in her first. They wanted him, so they ripped him out of her before my dad could stop them. He knew the only way to keep The Fox and me safe was by locking him inside of me. I mean, I was only a baby after all.”

“What is so special about this fox demon that Empyreans would want him?”

Naruto looked to Kakashi just as he was pulling the butterfly needle out of his arm, placing a cotton ball over the prick. Kakashi nodded and then handed the tube of blood to Sasuke who walked up to Naruto and passed it to him. Naruto grabbed the vial, opening and shutting his mouth a few times before pulling out the stopper. 

“Well, there is only one nine-tailed fox, Miss Kurenai,” he finally supplied before downing the warm, red liquid from the tube and wiping his mouth.

Kurenai had not noticed Kakashi’s actions or realized what was happening until she watched the child chug blood like much needed medicine. The sharp teeth were fully visible when he ran his tongue across them, smiling and thanking Kakashi. She reached up and grabbed Naruto’s face, pulling him down to her kneeling height and looked at him closely.

“Kakashi, this boy holds the Great Fox Demon within him and he can control him?” Kurenai questioned sternly demanding an immediate answer.

She kept her eyes on the Uzumaki’s face as the boy’s expression turned into worry and heard Kakashi answer.

“They actually have an understanding, neither one has full control of the other. Naruto has the key to the seal and The Fox has the keys to his past. They work together well.”

Sasuke watched as Naruto grew more nervous the longer the woman held his face and stayed silent. If she even tried to hurt him, Sasuke would feel no regret running a few volts of electricity through her frame. Instead, she just ran her thumbs over the exaggerated whisker marks on his cheeks and started to sob.

“How many children must be sacrificed for them, Kakashi? How many?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like High School Naruto AU's I highly recommend It's No Secret by NarutoDays (DAYS8). Go find it, and know that Toneri is a butthead.


	16. The Colosseum

Sasuke and Naruto had reluctantly went to bed after Kakashi had pulled a weeping Kurenai from the spare room. He knew Kurenai’s reaction would be different than so many of the others. She had been used during her childhood to make cleansing easy. She was to distract the guards for the villages while the Empyreans moved in, making everything look like the perfect night without a threat in sight.

She had aided them in sacrificing men, women, and children and she hated herself for it every day. That is why she lived alone, away from anyone else. It was her way of dealing with the memories and nightmares. Thankfully, during the rebellion, she had found a way to escape where they were holding her. The aura seal on her neck had been removed so she could receive the proper medical attention after a Cleansing. They needed access to all her nerves which that seal had blocked.

She ran until her feet bled and she collapsed from exhaustion. The demon sympathizers had found her. They had taken her in, healed her from everything they could and that is when she had met Kakashi and Obito. They were young then, fifteen or sixteen, at the beginning of it all. She had, a few years later, witnessed Obito’s death from the lone tree outside his place of judgement. Kakashi was kneeling, shackled and chained, in front of his burning comrade, eye bleeding and begging for the same death. 

And now she was sharing her cottage with that same man and he had brought her two more sacrifices to be warriors instead. She understood why, they were the youngest and some of the last of their clans. They were strong, determined, and still held hope. She would help them, show them what they needed to do to survive and flourish. She would make them so much stronger than she had been.

Kurenai spent the next week demonstrating with Sasuke the illusion techniques she knew while pointing out to Naruto how to spot them. Sasuke picked it up quickly, Naruto found it a bit troublesome until Kakashi explained it in a simpler fashion. By the end of the week, Naruto was able to spot when Sasuke had caught him within something most of the time, only failing when he started to grow weary. At one point whatever Sasuke had done had Naruto falling flat on his face unconscious.

Kurenai ran over to the boy, looking him over, “Sasuke, what did you do exactly?”

“I just made us all disappear, made him totally alone. I thought it would be easy enough to spot, I didn’t think it would overload the idiot’s brain.”

Kurenai grew concerned when Naruto still wasn’t stirring after a few minutes and sent Sasuke into the cottage to fetch Kakashi. Their overseer came jogging out of the backdoor to where she kneeled next to Naruto. He checked him over before carefully picking him up to carry him inside.

“Maybe you overdid it, you’ve both been using him as a guinea pig for the last few days,” Kakashi suggested once Naruto was settled on the small couch, holding up his hand, sending a few sparks to his fingertips.

“KAKASHI!” Kurenai admonished as she pushed his hand away from the blond, “we could just splash a little water on his face. Goodness.”

Kakashi shrugged as Kurenai left and returned a moment later with a small cup. She sprinkled a few drops of wetness with some flicks of her fingers. Naruto sat up with a start, looking around like he had been brought back to life. He then released a breath he had been holding and grinned.

“You guys are still here.”

“Of course, you moron! I thought that illusion was obvious. Like we’d just up and leave. Geez,” Sasuke growled in annoyance.

“Yeah, I guess that is kind of stupid, isn’t it?” the blond replied looking away and rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I would have never guessed it would have made you pass out, Naruto,” Kurenai stated. “It is almost six. Let’s just make a quick dinner and relax for the evening.”

Dinner was simple grilled sandwiches with some pickles that Kurenai had made herself. The boys happily ate while Kurenai and Kakashi discussed their improvements or shortcomings. Naruto grumbled when they mentioned he may want to rest tomorrow after what happened.

“I’ll be fine! I don’t want to end up falling behind Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed.

Kakashi lifted a brow, “Don’t worry Naruto, you won’t. We’ll work on you learning a few beneficial seals for use during the tournaments and Kurenai will continue drilling Sasuke on what she knows. I have been reading that the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki have many amazing applications. Sasuke may seem to have the upper hand with his eyes, but there are seals that could make that ability useless.”

Naruto poked Sasuke in the ribs, “I could make you useless, you hear that?”

“You could make my eyes useless, I’d still be able to beat the crap out of you,” Sasuke answered back.

“You never train blindfolded like I do, you’d just be attacking the air.”

“In your dreams, loser.” 

“Do they ever stop?” Kurenai asked as she held her chin in her hand. “I thought for sure they would have bickered enough for the day.”

“They never do but their rivalry keeps them going so who am I to stop them,” Kakashi commented.

Kurenai just smiled at that while getting up and started removing dishes from the table. The two boys followed while still bantering here and there. Dishes were clean and dried quickly, the table wiped down and chairs pushed in. Then Kurenai got an amusing idea.

“Do you boys want to have a campfire tonight? You have yet to sleep under the stars and I doubt any clouds will be moving in.”

Both trainees turned to Kakashi with hopeful looks on their faces, “Oh please, like I would stop you from giving me a good night’s rest without waking up to you two throwing insults at one another.”

Naruto and Sasuke spent the next hour gathering wood and setting up the campfire near the stream while Kurenai brought out a few blankets for their use along with some snacks. Kakashi joined them, sitting in a tree reading one of his perverted books while taking in the night air. 

Once night had fully fallen, Sasuke had made easy work of starting the fire and was now maneuvering and manipulating the flames while Naruto laid on the ground watching intently. Kurenai was very impressed with the Uchiha’s ability with fire but then looked at the blond and wondered. She watched as a foxy smirk crossed his face, his right arm leaving the place behind his head, and with a flick of his finger a sharp gust blew the Uchiha’s well organized dancing blaze into a swirl of chaos. 

The chortle that escaped the Uzumaki’s lips had a dark quality to it and she observed Sasuke’s expression turn from a scowl to one of amusement.

“Did The Fox find that as funny a you did, Naruto?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto sat up, eyes red, teeth sharp, even his ears looked a little pointed, “He did. He says you’re quite the show off.”

Kurenai would never get used to that echoing voice coming from the blond boy sitting next to her. She watched as the raven replied to Naruto by making the flames grow taller. Naruto began twirling one finger causing the flames to spiral as they reached new heights until Kakashi warned them not to bring too much attention to Kurenai’s little area. 

Naruto’s wind cut off and the flames returned to a more normal burn although Sasuke was still making them sway. Kurenai observed Naruto for a moment, his red eyes going in and out of focus. He turned to face her and looked a bit sheepish for a minute.

“Should I shift back, am I making you nervous?”

“No, not really. I am just curious. So, The Fox, what does he think of all this, the world currently?”

Kurenai’s eyes went wide when a snarl ripped through the child’s clenched teeth, “I want them dead. I want them all dead that threaten him, them.” He gestured to Sasuke and Kakashi, “They have been the only ones to fully support Naruto, along with the other demon trainer.”

“Naruto?” Kakashi questioned as he leaped down from the tree.

The boy closed his eyes and swallowed hard, answering, “Yes, Kakashi?”

“Ah, you are still there then.”

“Of course, I am,” Naruto answered with a toothy grin. “The Fox was just answering Miss Kurenai’s question.”

“I saw and heard that. He seems to be pretty comfortable around her, doesn’t he?” Kakashi asked.

Naruto nodded happily, “He says she is trustworthy. He says the Naras are too, but he didn’t want to show himself within angel borders like that.”

“Hm, I see.”

“That was The Fox answering me truthfully then?” Kurenai asked.

Naruto nodded again, “You asked for his answer, so he wanted to give you it. He is protective of me because of what happened.”

“A demon, being protective? I have only heard of them being destructive,” Kurenai said but there was a bit of good humor in her voice. “The things the Sanctified are ignorant of.”

“Their loss,” Sasuke replied as he sat next to Naruto. “When do you want us up?”

“As soon as the sun hits your face. After tomorrow, I have plans for you two in town,” Kakashi stated. “I have a feeling you will enjoy it.”

The masked man then helped Kurenai up to her feet and told the boys good night and to behave. He expected them to stay nearby all night and they agreed wholeheartedly to do so. Sasuke and Naruto were already grabbing the blankets and moving to their hammocks as the two adults entered the cottage. Kurenai and Kakashi retired to their rooms, one with more questions and one with plenty of answers.

***

The next day proved to be more interesting than either boy had predicted. Sasuke was starting to understand how to make himself blend into the background instead of just forcing reality-based illusions on someone. He had yet to conclude which camouflage worked best, like Kurenai with plants, but he was close and that made him more determined. She asked if he had any summonings, an animal that fit his idea of attack, or if there was a type of weather that he enjoyed most. He thought it through and mentioned birds of prey or something that was fast but yet knew how to be covert. Sasuke tried birds and it worked but he didn’t know if he wanted to stop there.

Naruto had already learned the storage seals that Kakashi could use but didn’t because it was frowned upon with his Tainted label. All his items were supposed to be easily searched and secured. Naruto loved watching his weapons disappear into the aura paper with a simple design and asked what else he could do. Kakashi opened the book of seals and brought to his attention one that formed barriers. He mentioned that it was what he used to secure rooms. It was actually a simple seal, it just used a lot of energy which some people weren’t able to sacrifice. Naruto smiled, he was an overabundant source of energy. 

While on lunch break, their teachers switched places. Kakashi ran Sasuke through a few drills and Kurenai did the same with Naruto. They were simple things, dodging certain attacks or getting out of common holds. Naruto felt a bit odd doing this with a female but Kurenai explained that their opponents at The Tournaments could be anyone, male or female, Sanctified or Forsaken. Sasuke received the same talk and then ended up thrown against a tree when he got too cocky. Naruto soon followed him when he let his guard down to laugh. 

“Ow! Miss Kurenai, you’re mean!”

“Kakashi wasn’t any nicer.”

“Never let your guard down, Naruto. You never know where or when the next attack will happen,” Kurenai scolded.

“And Sasuke, there could always be someone smarter, faster, or stronger than you. Never let yourself get too comfortable,” Kakashi followed up.

“Ya know, you could just say that instead of throwing me around,” Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke just glared and rubbed the bump forming on the back of his head. He’d find a way to get that gray-haired pervert back. Maybe he’d even do so while the jerk was sleeping, he knew Naruto would be willing to help.

When they returned to their normal training for the day, the boys jumped back into their tasks with fervor. They ate the dinner with gratitude that evening, and their instructors were happy with the outcomes of today’s lessons. The Uchiha had figured out that black birds worked well, although Kurenai told him to keep testing out different camouflage to see if he found anything better suited to his tastes. The Uzumaki had mastered the storage seal and was well on his way to mastering the barrier seal, he just needed to tweak how much energy he pushed into it. 

Sasuke was rubbing his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time since they had called it quits on their training for the day. Naruto picked up Sasuke’s dishes along with his own and walked to sink to wash them. Sasuke didn’t stop him for once. His eyes weren’t just throbbing anymore, they were burning like hellfire. Maybe the illusion drills had been too much for him. He put his face against the cold tabletop thankful it seemed to dull it some. Maybe he’d just sleep with ice packs on his face. 

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his face the other way, glancing up at Kakashi, “Hn,” was his only response.

“Go take a shower and get some rest. Do you need something for your eyes?”

“A glacier would be nice.”

“I will do my best,” Kakashi smirked before turning his head as Naruto approached.

“I’ll just wash up in the stream tonight. I don’t feel comfortable sleeping in the house.”

Kakashi had noticed, even if Naruto had been hiding and handling it well, his body was starting to crave blood again. It would probably be a relief for the boy when it was only once a month, but even then, he would begin to love the taste of it. He was becoming more of a demon every day, just like Sasuke. When the Uchiha finally hit the next stage of development, he would start to feel the pulls Naruto was already unknowingly dealing with.

“Enjoy your night, Naruto. Get plenty of rest. If you can’t handle it anymore, just let me know.”

Naruto only nodded before heading out the back, demon energy being felt the moment the door clicked shut. Sasuke quietly got up from the table, about to head to the shower but stopped short.

“I will sleep outside tonight like Naruto. We all know he can get himself into plenty of trouble,” Sasuke stated before continuing on his route to the bathroom.

Kurenai shook her head at them as she put the last few dishes away. She let Kakashi know there was frozen storage in the cellar at the far end and to just replace the temperature seals when he retrieved the ice he needed. He had went through door and down the stairs when Kurenai headed to the linen closet to grab a towel and wash cloth for Naruto. 

As she let her thoughts wonder over the events of the day while heading to the back door, she felt the wave of heavy, dark energy pass through her. She went running into the backyard before she was face to face with black ringed, glowing, scarlet eyes. She backed away from the creature before her. Its long canines extending past its black lips and when it smiled it was strangely familiar. 

“Sorry for scaring you, Miss Kurenai,” it said, its voice a low, gravely echo.

“Naruto?” She gasped.

He nodded, “Thank you for the towel. I totally forgot to grab one.”

She looked at the large, fur covered ears, the black markings and darker scars that now covered his face. She heard the movement of something else, but she couldn’t pin point what it was. She reached out to touch his cheek and a clawed hand grabbed her wrist.

He shook his head, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You smell,” he closed his eyes and took a quick breath, “you smell good.”

He let go as she pulled her hand away and Kakashi walked out the door.

“Naruto, why are you like that right now?” the man asked, his arms crossing over his chest.

“I felt something strange when I was near the stream and shifted further to see if I could sense it better. I was going to come in and tell you when Miss Kurenai came out to bring me a towel.”

“And what did you sense?” 

“A large demon energy, like mine, passed through the area for a moment. It felt familiar,” Naruto tried to explain. “The Fox says he knows what it could have been, but he is not sure.”

“Like you?” Kurenai repeated. “An Abaddon possessed?”

Naruto swallowed, his red eyes dating back and forth, “Yes, that’s what we think it was.”

“And you are an actual Kitsune tsuki?” she then asked finally noticing the tail moving to and froe at random.

“A what?” Naruto questioned as he started to head back to the stream, his ears turning back to listen for her answer.

“It’s a legend about people who can handle a fox spirit possession without becoming overpowered by it. It gives them extra abilities while they take on a foxlike appearance. Those people were said to be long lost children of gods.”

Naruto laughed darkly, “If my mom was any type of goddess, she was the one of death, Miss Kurenai. My dad, well, The Fox recently just started releasing memories that my mom had of him, so I don’t know much about him. All I really know is that he was from the Namikaze clan.”

“Releasing memories?” she questioned. 

“The Fox retains memories of his former hosts, for example, his mother’s. He’s been showing them to Naruto so he can understand everything going on with him,” Kakashi answered.

Kurenai turned to Kakashi, “He’s experiencing two lifetimes, then?”

“I guess you could say that.”

She turned back to where Naruto had been upon hearing a loud splash. Next the sound of the door opening filled her ears as Sasuke strode into the backyard holding an ice pack in one hand and a bar of soap in the other. He continued on his way to the edge of the stream making a snarky comment about Naruto’s bathing habits. The blond just flattened his ears and rolled his eyes before commenting that he wasn’t a princess like someone else. Sasuke just smirked and then sunk down, sitting on a rock at the edge, talking to the blond like this was a normal occurrence every night.

“Don’t forget to wash behind those ears and your tail!” Sasuke called out as he tossed in the soap.

“Shut up! I will only wash my fur with the best shampoos,” Naruto replied in as girly of a demon voice he could manage while catching the projectile.

Sasuke laughed, “Were you mocking Ino!?”

Naruto grinned, batting his eyelashes and looking coy, before sinking under the surface to rinse the suds from himself to bob up saying, “Who else would say something like that?”

“No one we know,” Sasuke smirked as he held the ice up to one of his eyes.

Kurenai turned and was met with Kakashi tying a tourniquet off using his mask covered mouth, “This doesn’t bother you?”

As soon as his mouth was free he answered, “No. It bothers, or did brother, Jiraiya, although he doesn’t know Naruto has the key or used it. He doesn’t know about this form either, it should surprise him. Do you remember the Sage?”

“I do, known to be one of the most powerful there are but how can this not bother you? He will become one, you know that. They both will,” Kurenai murmured as Kakashi began collecting blood.

“What better to fight those who think they are gods, Kurenai?” 

“You know I can hear you, right?” Naruto interrupted as he toweled off his head while sitting on a rock near Sasuke in the pants he had been wearing earlier. “These ears aren’t just for show.”

“I know that, Naruto. Here, take this,” Kakashi answered as he threw the tube Naruto’s direction, the boy easily catching it, his claws tinkling against the glass. “You probably know more about the subject than Kurenai or I anyway.”

Naruto drank his ‘medicine’, licking the blood from his razor-sharp teeth, “That we’ll become actual demons? Yeah, The Fox already explained it.”

“Does he know?” Kurenai asked looking in Sasuke’s direction.

“I am privy to Naruto and The Fox’s conversations,” Sasuke answered. “It’s rare I don’t know what the idiot does.”

“What are you going to do, Sasuke, if Naruto needs blood during The Tournaments?” Kurenai then asked. “What if there is no one else’s blood available, no enemies nearby or anything? Are you willing to offer up your own?”

Sasuke turned to look at the Naruto, who’s one ear was crooked his direction while he kept his eyes on Kurenai, and he answered simply, “Yes.”

Why wouldn’t he? Naruto had taken punishment for him before, taken other punishment that he was never meant to take. Naruto had sacrificed as much as him, if not more. What is a little blood if it keeps his friend sane? He knew if the situation were switched, Naruto would offer up his own throat without a second thought.

Kurenai’s eyes narrowed at that almost immediate answer. She looked at Naruto, his blood-red eyes wide with shock. Why would that answer surprise him she wondered, so she asked.

“Naruto, what do you think of that answer?”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” his gravelly echo quietly answered. “I wouldn’t want Sasuke to feel the need to do that. I guess I am, ya know, thankful he’d be willing, but would I be ok with it? I don’t know, I’d probably have to be pretty thirsty.”

“These are things you two need to think about when it comes to these tournaments,” Kakashi stated. “Rarely do even half the contestants live through them and most of the time, those contestants that do, are angel-blooded cheaters. Everything will be against you, but then again, you both are pretty used to that.”

“No joke,” Sasuke almost growled.

Naruto suddenly sat up straighter looking through the small forest, behind the stream. He then dropped to all fours, his tail whipping back and forth almost violently. They watched as he stalked quietly over, his body low and then abruptly leaped across the stream to pounce on something.

“What the hell, Naruto,” Sasuke said in confusion as he stood up to see what the fuck Naruto was doing.

Naruto came walking across the stream, with perfect energy control under his feet, and a dark blue snake curled around his forearm. He watched the other three, while he murmured things to the scaly little friend wrapped around him, it’s head resting in the palm of his hand. Sasuke activated he sight despite the pain and smiled.

“Well, hello there little demon,” Sasuke said as Naruto walked up.

_“He said I can talk to you. I am wounded and was hoping for help. Didn’t know the Demon Lord, with his vessel, would be the one to keep that stupid viper from eating me whole.’_

“Yeah, a Fomorian with a snake form getting eaten by another regular snake would be embarrassing wouldn’t it?” Sasuke asked as he put the bag of ice in the crook of his arm and then extended his hands out to the serpent.

Naruto gently unwound the snake from his arm, “He is wounded on his under belly, be careful.”

“You must draw them to you,” Kakashi stated as he came over to get a better look.

Kurenai sat dumbfounded. She hadn’t seen Naruto in this form before tonight. She had never seen him move like that before tonight. And now, if what Sasuke said was to be believed and Kakashi’s statement true, this boy could talk, sense, and even draw demons to himself.

“Miss Kurenai are you okay?” Naruto said as he looked at her with a concerned expression. 

“I just, I can’t wrap my mind around all of this,” she replied causing the blond to shift back to his blue-eyed self quickly and quietly apologizing. “Please don’t apologize for what you are, it is just a lot to take in. So, the snake is a demon, and it can talk to you.”

“And Sasuke.”

“And Sasuke,” she repeated.

“Yes, I tell them they can trust him. He can see them, and I can hear them. It just seems like the right thing to do,” Naruto answered her confusion.

_“Master Naruto, do you or Lord Sasuke have something that can be of help to me,”_ the snake asked after Sasuke had carefully examined him.

Sasuke moved before Naruto heading into the house, Naruto following, and they went for the first aid kit. Kakashi and Kurenai trailed behind unknowing of what was going on. Sasuke and Naruto had gone up to the spare room, Sasuke holding the snake, belly up, while Naruto was carefully applying some ointment on the wound that spanned two or three inches. The blonde then gently wrapped a bandage around him murmuring things that they couldn’t quite hear.

“He’s staying with us,” Sasuke announced once he was satisfied with Naruto’s handy work.

“You are doing some rough training tomorrow,’ Kakashi warned. “I don’t mind you keeping him, but I’d hate him to get injured more.” 

“Kakashi, you should know that demons heal rather fast,” Naruto retorted with a smile. “He won’t be fully healed by tomorrow, but he will be back to moving easily.”

“What is this rough training?” Sasuke asked as he lifted the melting ice pack to an eye, while to other hand allowed the snake to ever so slowly slither over his shoulder and around his neck.

“The Colosseum,” Kurenai answered. “Fights to the death.”

“You will be the executioners against Empyreans who were found guilty of unforgivable crimes and sentenced to death by Forsaken,” Kakashi explained. “In simpler terms, you will be there to serve them their death sentence and no one will stop you.”

A dark grin formed across Sasuke’s face, “Well, isn’t that just a dream come true.”

***

The snake, which said he had no name, slithered down Sasuke’s arm reaching his head over to Naruto. Sasuke placed his hand on the blonde’s shoulder as they walked, and their scaly friend slithered off to claim a bed around his Lord’s neck. Naruto lifted a finger up to him and rubbed him underneath the chin. His tail began to pick and prod at the thin beanie covering Naruto’s head.

_“Why must Master Naruto wear this? It is warm and sunny, there is no need,”_ the serpent questioned.

Naruto chuckled, “You should know, you are a demon yourself. They don’t like us, and I am marked on my ears as possessed by a one, although they don’t who he is.”

“He was whipped in public for it once,” Sasuke added.

_“They whipped the Demon Lord!?”_ the snake said in shocked rage.

“No, they whipped me. A blue-eyed idiot who is possessed.” Naruto clarified. “They don’t know about him and can’t know about him.”

They were getting looks as they walked behind Kakashi and Kurenai. It could be because they had their weapons strapped to their bodies. Two young teenagers with brands on their necks, looking ready to fight anyone, but Sasuke doubted it. It was probably weirder that they looked like they were talking out loud to a ghost and none of their statements made sense without the snake’s inaudible comments. 

As they had eaten breakfast, Kakashi and Kurenai had told them the way in which their next, so called, training would work. Kakashi would sign them in as executioners to the worst Empyrean criminals, rapists, murderers, and all sorts of deviants. They had gone through the system and were determined to meet this fate. Sasuke and Naruto wouldn’t have to hold anything back except no fox ears or tail. Red eyes, claws, and fangs were fine, just nothing that gave away everything.

Naruto had agreed to those terms and, as he left, had grabbed the thin beanie now on his head, the snake slithering up his leg and to join them. Kurenai had told him his bars would not receive the same reactions here, but he’d rather not push his luck yet. Walking through town without gloves was making him nervous as it was, he didn’t understand how Sasuke was so calm. Maybe it was because he had lived outside in this world before he had entered Naruto’s.

“Why not name the snake Aoda?” Sasuke said getting the blonde’s attention.

“I think you should ask him that,” Naruto replied as it slithered around his neck to face Sasuke.

_“Aoda? Why that name Lord Sasuke?”_ he asked cocking his head to one side.

“Is it not suitable? Just thought it was simple. We already just say ‘The Fox’, I think I’d rather you have an actual name,” Sasuke answered.

_“The Great Demon Lord has a name, he just doesn’t share it often. I don’t even know it. But yes, I understand. I will accept this name, Lord Sasuke,”_ Aoda happily obliged.

“Nice to meet you, Aoda,” Naruto said as he carefully unwound the snake from his neck. “What will you do while we are in The Colosseum?” he asked as he held the Aoda’s face in front of his.

“He can stay with me or Kurenai,” Kakashi answered the question. “I am sure he would enjoy seeing you both fight. The deer seemed to.”

The snake turned his head and nodded his approval, Naruto gliding his fingers down his blue scales. It was weird how soft and smooth he was when most people talked about snakes like they were slimy, gross things that had no beauty whatsoever. Aoda was sleek and had some shine to him. His eyes were a yellow-green color with thin pupils and they never seemed to stop taking anything in.

“I’m heading to the farmer’s market, Kakashi. I’ll be back to The Colosseum in thirty minutes,” Kurenai stated as she started down a path to the right.

_“Will there be eggs there? I am hungry.”_

“Miss Kurenai, can you grab some fresh eggs for Aoda?” Sasuke relayed to the woman.

“Of course. I need a few myself.”

Sasuke adjusted his bow as they continued walking towards the town center, turning his head when felt Naruto’s hand on his shoulder. Aoda slithered over and then into his quiver. Sasuke shrugged, he was probably getting ready to hide as they neared more people. The Uchiha would if he could although, he enjoyed the thought of a good fight. It had been a while, and he welcomed that there weren’t many rules.

After the next turn they saw it. The huge circular arena was hard to miss with it’s high walls and marquee that seemed to show who was currently being served justice. They followed Kakashi towards it and the crowd grew thicker as they got closer. Naruto noticed the multiple vendors stationed nearby while Sasuke read the marquee with curiosity. 

Soon they were in front of a little window within the large building that smelled of sweat, blood, and death. The line was short, just a few people, and the woman speaking to the big, burly man covered in tattoos behind the counter was angry. She was infuriated that someone hadn’t died yet, it involved her son somehow. She left demanding they find a way to kill said person before the end of the day. The next two people were just there for the show and bought tickets. 

“What can I help you with?” the man asked without even looking at Kakashi.

“Well, I brought two young but well-trained executioners if you’ll have them,” Kakashi answered lazily with his hands shoved in his pockets.

The man turned, smirking at Kakashi as he clasped his hands together under his chin, “You’re going to have to be more convincing than that. We are here to put on a show, to make some money while fulfilling the stupid orders of the angel bastards’ courts. So, do tell, why do you think whoever you bought with you is worth my time?”

“One is an Uchiha and the other an Uzumaki.”

The man’s bushy eye brows raised, and he stuck out his arm moving Kakashi to the side, “Those two right there? What are they, ten?”

“Thirteen actually. I, Kakashi Hatake, trained them myself. They are headed to The Tournaments next month.”

“Kakashi Hatake, you say. Well, those are some interesting facts. The only thing that would make this better is if one of them were possessed,” The man replied,

“Oh? And why is that?” Kakashi smirked.

“You see, there is someone whose been sitting in one of our cells for six months with high demands and her paperwork states she must be killed by a possessed,” he explained as he started to twirl a pen in his thick fingers. “Her victims were both Sanctified and Forsaken and, well, her crimes were rather devious.”

“In what way?” Kakashi egged him on.

The man’s face twisted into a dark grin, “She liked little boys, like the one you have right there,” he stated pointing his pen in Naruto’s direction. “Young, light haired, light eyed shits. She’d get those innocent, little suckers in her bed and fuck ‘em. Somehow most of them ended up dead within months of meeting her. No weapons, no poison, no nothing.”

The man was surprised by Kakashi’s chuckle, “I think this may be your lucky day. You may want to place a few bets.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, “How so?”

Kakashi reached back and ripped off Naruto’s beanie, Naruto wincing as he did so.

“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me!” the man mumbled.

“No, I am not kidding you. He’s been possessed since birth as far as anyone can tell. He is the Uzumaki if you were wondering, the other is the Uchiha,” Kakashi informed him as he turned around to face his trainees. 

“How many do you want them to have?” The man asked putting his pen to paper.

“What’s a good number for them to start out with?” Kakashi replied.

“Probably three for today. I doubt I can convince the boss to offer up anymore to newbies. You need to fill out the information for me. They brought their own weapons?”

“Yes,” Kakashi answered as he took to form to fill it out.

The man turned his attention to the two teenagers, “Ok, no summonings are allowed. No attacks that could hurt the audience. If you try to flee the arena before fulfilling your contract, we will keep you in one of own cells as part of the clean-up crew from three days to a week and you will owe a fine.”

“Yes sir,” Sasuke and Naruto answered in unison.

Kakashi handed the paper back and the man started skimming the information. He chuckled at certain details. Afterward, he reached under the table top and pulled out a stamp pad and large stamp. 

“You’ll get paid when they finish their job, three times. We are not responsible for any injuries that are caused by the guilty parties’ abilities. They will also be allowed to pick one weapon before facing your little trainees and we are not responsible for any injuries they abstain from those either. Their third fight will be with the woman I was speaking about earlier, the possessed must be the one to finish her off, understand?”

“Of course,” Kakashi answered and the stamp hit the paper with a wet thwap. 

“Please go down the hall to your left, third hallway to your right. They will call you out when your fights are in queue,” the man instructed. “Oh, and you two, put on a good show. You get paid more if you become popular.”

Naruto and Sasuke just looked at the man and then turned to follow Kakashi. As soon as they reached their destination they began inspecting their weapons for the second time that day. Naruto checked every link of chain on his set of Kusarigama, and every sharp edge that covered those and his knives. Sasuke had already inspected his Katana and was starting on his bow. When he finally got to the arrows in his quiver, he carefully drew out Aoda who had been curled tightly inside.

The snake slid up Sasuke’s arm onto his shoulder and watched intently what the two were doing. Kakashi reached down and ran a light fingertip over the top of the snake’s head. It turned, and then slithered up Kakashi’s arm knowing he couldn’t stay with the two demon-bloods during this event. Kakashi didn’t even seem to notice as Aoda wrapped himself around his neck.

“You two ready?” Miss Kurenai asked as she appeared beside Kakashi. 

“As ready as we’re going to be,” Sasuke answered. “We already know one particular opponent is going to be very interested in Naruto.”

“Hey, I am not looking forward to that, ya know. Weird, old lady who has a thing for young boys. It is so messed up,” Naruto commented as he cut the pad of his thumb on one of his knives by accident.

“Bleeding already, idiot?” Sasuke joked.

“Oh, shut up. I’m nervous,” Naruto retorted sending just enough demon energy to the wound to heal it easily. 

“You’ll do fine. You two will be going up against one opponent at a time but they will have more experience than you and who knows what all their abilities will be. Think things through, use anything you can take advantage of, and, always work together. I hope I have drilled that into you both,” Kakashi lectured.

“Yes sir,” they answered as their weapons were sheathed and strapped to them. 

Aoda gave a hard nod from Kakashi’s neck and hissed in agreement. Kurenai walked over putting a hand on a shoulder of both of them and told them to give everyone a good show and to be careful. Then they were left to wait by the door with their own thoughts and worries.

“Uchiha and Uzumaki!” suddenly went reverberating down the hall and Sasuke and Naruto heard the door behind them start to give way. 

“Here goes,” Naruto said as much to himself as to Sasuke.

“Just try not to be an idiot,” Sasuke replied as he walked out into the almost too bright sunlight.

The arena was blinding and disorienting. For the most part, it was a flat almost sandy surface with only a few accessories. They were a few boulders along the circumference and several small trees scattered about. No water sources for Naruto to do anything too fancy and nothing dry enough for Sasuke to start any major fires. The walls looked so much higher from the inside and the huge glass ceiling made sure plenty of sunlight lit up the place.

Naruto’s adrenaline was already starting to fill him, this place was huge. The combat maneuvers he could pull off in here were endless. He could actually show off his speed here, his strength. He would be even more excited if he was taking on Sasuke with no limitations. 

Sasuke was already calculating what parts of the arena he could use for what. He noticed where every door was placed, every nook in the worn blocks of the wall he could use to launch himself faster up the sides, and where it was obvious today’s judgments had already taken place. He was beyond enthused, he couldn’t wait for it to start.

“We have two rookies who are here to debut at THE COLOSSEUM!” came a loud, rumbling announcement that rattled through the stadium seating. “OH! And they are from very well-known clans ladies and gentlemen! Can you guess which ones?!”

The crowd, that they somehow didn’t notice before, started humming with excitement. Naruto and Sasuke gave each other confused but amused expressions. Naruto looked at the people staring down at them and decided to show off a little, that is what they were meant to do, right? He unstrapped his shorter Kusarigama and sent some air energy into it, whipping it around him to send a gale of wind flying through the arena. Sasuke, seeming to read his mind, breathed fire into it creating a whirlwind inferno that died off at the top of the arena wall before it reached their audience. 

“Look at that, ladies and gentlemen, they seem to be eager participants! These two are from the UCHIHA AND UZUMAKI CALNS!” came reverberating through the speakers and the swarm of people got louder.

Kakashi chuckled from his seat while Kurenai looked around at the crowd and back into the arena. The overseer observed the way his trainees’ bodies were tensed and ready. It had been a while since they had actually practiced real combat, and this was one of the few ways they could have unknown opponents thrown their way. Kakashi knew the people that entered into the fray with them wouldn’t be top notch fighters, but they were known for horrible things. They would still be challenging in their own way. He scratched under Aoda’s chin and looked at the snake, he wondered about his thoughts on all of this.

The first two felons they sent into the ring for his judgement had been easy take downs. Sure, the criminals fought well and had some decent attacks but Naruto nor Sasuke had to use their extra abilities. With that said, they had still managed to put on a good show. Sasuke’s fire and lightning attacks were bright and extravagant, Naruto’s water and wind surprising and thrilling. 

Kakashi was pleased their teamwork was on point. Neither kill could be credited to just one or the other. It was funny to think of how when they fought against each other it was tooth and nail, no holds barred, but when fighting for something else they worked together seamlessly. Neither one questioned the other’s movements, they were both very aware of what the other was working for.

The next opponent would be the challenge. They can say all they wanted that she was sentenced to death by possessed because of her crimes, but it also meant she had abilities that scared the average individual. A possessed usually went into a killing frenzy when provoked, wouldn’t give up until their target was a blood stain on the earth. This is what they were expecting of Naruto, for him to kill her even if it meant he’d end up dying also. Thankfully, Sasuke was there and he was allowed to provide existence as long as it was Naruto who killed her in the end.

Kakashi heard the speakers buzz before the announcement came through the speakers, “Now, one of the most wanted criminals will finally meet her judgement. Fuka Asakawa, The Ageless Succubus, will be executed by possessed in front of your eyes!”

Naruto was tempted to cover his ears from how boisterous the crowd became. He had heard what that man had said, he knew what the women had done, but how long had she been doing it? The Ageless Succubus, did that mean the ages of her victim didn’t matter or that she literally was immortal? He winced as his thoughts began running through disgusting scenarios this woman had been a part of, did she have an ability that drew young boys to her? Should he be weary of such a thing?

“Stop thinking so hard, idiot,” Sasuke called out. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Sasuke smirked as Naruto flipped him off with his tongue sticking out. The first two fights had been good warm ups for them, if anything. He knew Naruto was a bit more anxious about this last opponent than the other two. For her to be this well known meant she had given the Empyrean law keepers a run for their money. This was also most likely the reason they had specifically stated she had to die by the hand of a possessed. Sasuke would still lend a hand, they were a team after all. 

The door at the other end of the arena creaked opened, a slender, olive-toned hand pushing it slowly. The woman walked out with all the confidence of a deity, her dark burgundy hair sweeping against the top of her hips and her navy eyes relaxed and arrogant. Her heart shaped face held a slight smile and her long legs carried her until she stood in the middle of the grounds.

“How darling, what ever should I do with you two? Surely you are not here to execute me,” she began as she swept her hair to hang over her left shoulder. “Boys like you would rather have a kiss or two, wouldn’t you?”

Naruto lifted eyebrow and made a face of disgust, “Lady, there is no way I am going to let you touch me. You’re disgusting.”

“Excuse me?” the woman hissed. “I am the farthest thing from disgusting.”

“I don’t know, you look like an everyday whore to me,” Sasuke commented.

“And you would know what whores look like, would you pretty boy?” the woman asked of Sasuke. “I like your cute, little blonde friend better anyway,” she said as she began deliberately stepping ever so slowly toward Naruto. “Come on, cutie. Let me show you all the mysteries of the female body. I can make you feel so good.”

Naruto took a small step back, “Why the hell would I want to know that crap for? Keep your mysteries.”

“Ah, but have you ever felt good? So good that you could barely handle it? Your eyes closed, and gasping for breath, panting even, for more? Tell me boy, have you ever felt that damn good in your life?”

She was standing directly in front of Naruto now, her every movement was almost like a hypnotizing dance. He didn’t understand it, but he didn’t want to move away from her anymore. He didn’t feel good exactly, just content. He suddenly became aware of a low growl building in the back of his skull, there was a part of him that told him to ignore everything but whatever she was going to give him.

Sasuke watched with widening eyes, Naruto wasn’t moving. He didn’t tense, didn’t grab for a weapon, Sasuke didn’t even feel an energy shift. He activated his sight for the first time today and saw it. There was the physical form of the woman that everyone else could see, but there were four others, that were just energy signatures surrounding Naruto. 

They were stroking him, whatever energy they were made off invading his own. Then he saw it, The Fox trying to push against them and he grinned. Sasuke doubted the demon liked anything taking over his turf. He decided to enter the fray himself, as he leaped toward the one directly behind Naruto sending a bolt of electricity through it. It fizzed and popped, opening its mouth in a silent angry scream as it let go.

Naruto suddenly jumped away hearing The Fox’s jaws snapping and feeling static go through his hair. He landed in a crouch and shook his head trying to figure out what happened. He didn’t feel content at all, but gross and nauseous, like he disgusted poison. He looked at Sasuke who was between him and that woman. He would look to her every now and then but was also sidestepping and dodging what seemed like nothing.

“Sasuke?” Naruto questioned, his voice sounded weak like he had just finished receiving a beating.

“Naruto, are you alright? She and these four other things, whatever they are, were doing something to you. Your energy was becoming hers,” Sasuke replied back.

“Four other things?” Naruto parroted standing up slowly, his legs as weak as his voice.

“Aw, look at you. Let me take care of you,” Fuka cooed. “I can make you feel better, remember? I can help you rest so soundly. Come back to me.”  
“No, you bitch,” Naruto managed to growl.

“You should never talk to a lady that way, especially when you are such a handsome, little man.”

“Shut up! I am supposed to kill you and I will,” Naruto commanded back when he finally managed to stand up straight.

“And how are you going to manage that? You are one of the tamest possessed I have ever seen. Maybe those bars are just for decoration, you seem rather dull. Your friend here seems feistier than yourself.”

“I am the only one allowed to insult him,” Sasuke sneered. “He’s just holding back, you slut.”

“How dare you, first you call me a whore and now a slut. How fuckin’ dare you! I have a type, and you definitely aren’t it, so you will die!” she screeched as she pulled something from behind her back, her energy shadows coming to float to the sides of her waiting for their next command.

Naruto saw the whip, felt the heat building from her, and then a shock of flame went whipping towards Sasuke. He easily dodged, sending his own fire attack her way. Naruto swore he saw her flicker before she followed up with a wind strike that perfectly mimicked one of his own. He was confused, she hadn’t seen him do the wind scythe move. She had been locked away during the first battle. And 

that whip, it was making him angry, but he was trying to figure out why he was so tired. He pulled on more of his energy and it felt foreign, like a substitute.

_“Naruto, you are going to have to rely on me,”_ The Fox said in a hurry. _“She poisoned your aura, she took its traits for her own. That was your wind attack. I don’t know exactly how she is doing it, but she doesn’t even feel like a normal person, she feels like five different people.”_

“Sasuke said there are four other things around her helping her. He sees them,” Naruto tried to explain but he didn’t even comprehend it.

_“Kid, now is the time. She is focused on Demon Eyes. She is supposed to die by possessed. Let’s do this.”_

Kakashi watched from the stands concerned about what was going on. He watched when Naruto had seemed paralyzed and Sasuke seemed to attack the air. Aoda was hissing and swaying back and forth as he watched. Maybe there was something else to see. Kakashi lifted the patch over his left eye, and that’s when he saw them.

“Shit.”

Kurenai looked to Kakashi, noticing his cursed eye and then looked back to the arena, “What do you see, Kakashi?”

“They are against five opponents. There is the woman everyone else can see, but there are four other energy shadows of her,” Kakashi explained. “Naruto may have to kill her multiple times. I don’t know how this will work.”

Both Kurenai and Kakashi’s eyes focused when the woman screamed in anger and agony as Sasuke’s Katana sliced through her hair. It looked to wound her more than any other attack he had launched her way. Naruto’s head whipped to attention at the same time and Kakashi took a relieved breath when he felt The Fox enter the fight. 

“Naruto is getting serious now,” was all that left his masked mouth.

Naruto took deep breath as he felt the all too familiar and comforting hot, dark energy roll up his spine. He launched into the battle sending swirls of wind and water to separate anyone and anything from each other. Sasuke landed and slid a few yards back on his feet with one hand on the ground. Fuka didn’t fair as well, obviously not expecting Naruto to be able to attack any time soon.

“How the hell,” she seethed as she got back up and her eyes narrowed as took in Naruto. “Where did those beautiful blue eyes go?”

Naruto’s teeth snapped in her direction, “Fuckin’ bitch, taking my energy for your own. Is that what slowly killed the others? You stealing their life sources to power your greed.”

She scoffed, “Well, that and youth. Every woman loves to stay young and beautiful. Wind release is rare, it was a nice boost. Why don’t you give me the rest of it?”

Four other Narutos popped into existence, “Sasuke, you are going need to point out the shadows or whatever. I can’t see them, I can sense them but not too clearly.”

Sasuke nodded, “They are all spread out behind her right now, but they are ready to attack. They seem to switch with the physical body whatever she changed the element of her attack.”

Naruto nodded in return, “They need something about her physical body to exist then.”

Naruto’s copies followed Sasuke as he went up the wall and around to get behind her, the real Naruto waited. Fuka came at him again, but not like a stalking cat this time, but like a crazed boar. She had tasted his energy and was left wanting more. If the kid could recall enough of whatever he was relying on now to replenish everything she had taken, he could help her live decades longer. 

Naruto went racing away, he had never tested his speed without trees or other objects blocking his way. He laughed at the woman’s expression as he grabbed the whip from her hand and stopped a few feet from her with a lopsided grin.

“What sharp teeth you have, little boy,” she said almost on reflex as she walked toward him.

“I get that a lot,” Naruto growled before sending a torrent of water her direction. She blocked it with an earth wall, Sasuke cursing as he chased the invisible threats.

Sasuke was still trying to figure how to slow the energy beings down when he noticed something. They were all identical except there was one that seemed to be weaker. It had a swath of hair missing. He looked at the woman remembering he had injured her other ways but she got the angriest what he cut her hair. 

“Naruto, her hair! Cut it off!” Sasuke yelled as another of the shadows tried to reach for him.

Naruto didn’t know why he should, but he trusted Sasuke. 

“That sounds like fun!” his deeper demon echo voiced. “I guess I’ll just keep the whip for safe keeping.”

He removed his longer Kusarigama, putting the whip in its place on his left thigh. He started the Kunai end spinning in front of him. He had no idea which element she’d call on next but knew if he could trap her for a few seconds he’d get a good swipe at that long hair of hers. As soon as she moved he sent the weighed end her direction, it wrapped around her forearm as she blocked. He yanked it down and leaped over her getting a chuck of hair off the back.

She screeched and seemed as enraged as when Sasuke had landed a similar hit. She really had a thing for her hair. Naruto quickly ricocheted off the wall and back down to the floor when she sent a lightning attack his direction. He noticed that his clones were no help to Sasuke and called them his direction. 

“Go for her hair!” Naruto ordered causing them to grab for daggers from the holsters on their hips. 

The clones could get close without facing injury other than being dispersed. They all went for her at once, two of them cutting a few inches off her mane before she destroyed them all.

“You insolent, little fool! Don’t you know a woman’s beauty is in her hair! I will suck all the life out of you right here!” Fuka fumed.

“Go ahead and try but The Fox won’t put up with it, he already has laid claim on me,” Naruto answered back as he sent his Kusarigama flying her direction. 

This time she dodged it completely instead of blocking, calling out, “This fox, how strong is he? Does he really think he can take on a woman scorned?”

“You wouldn’t even be a bite sized snack lady,” he taunted as he sent his weapon flying towards her again, and when she dodged this time Sasuke went flying by removing a part of her fringe. 

Naruto froze as he felt a presence touch him. He growled and sent a pulse of demon energy out to see what affect it would have. He heard Fuka cry out in response. He smirked, she may be able to handle everyday life energy, but a true demon’s seemed to be too much. 

“I guess that means you are a real angel blood then, demon energy being painful to you. What, are you related to the angel of death?” Naruto questioned as she looked at him with a new expression.

“And what if I am, a little fox demon isn’t going to kill me,” she hissed as her face turned into something that looked more like an anorexic hag than the beautiful form she had been using before. “I will kill you.”

“Try it,” Sasuke growled from beside Naruto as he sent a wave of lightning through whatever was behind him.

“Attacking those invisible things is getting nowhere. We have to take her down,” Sasuke murmured to Naruto. “I will help when you need it since this is supposed to be your fight, but you have yet to show her what you can really do.”

“The Fox wanted to size her up, he has the info he wants. He wants her blood,” Naruto whispered back. “I am trying to talk him out of it.”

“Do you want you need to, the crowd wants a show, give them one.”

Naruto clenched his teeth and growled, it was now or never. He unhooked the whip and snapped it once. He hated that sound, but he needed a distraction. He threw it up into the air and Fuka’s sunken eyes followed it. He went straight for her without anything holding him back. As he flew by he wrapped the chain around her legs and yanked in the opposite direction. He brought the scythe down cutting her hair to almost shoulder length. Her body convulsed as it slammed into the ground.

Naruto spun, watching her as he pulled the chain back to himself. Her eyes had been focused on him and then suddenly looked to Sasuke. Her body disappeared and then reappeared near his teammate as Naruto yelled in warning. She managed to grab the Katana out of a surprised Sasuke’s hand and then sliced down his left tricep. Blood began immediately running down his arm into the dirt below.

Naruto saw Sasuke’s look of agony as he grabbed his arm and backed away. He managed to dodge her next attack with his own sword by sprinting away and stopping behind Naruto. 

“I can still help you with elemental attacks, but my arm is useless,” Sasuke informed him as he kept himself shielded behind his teammate.

A snarl tore through the possessed’s throat as he stared down the, now, cackling woman. He wanted to rip her apart, she had hurt Sasuke. She had used Sasuke’s own sword against him. She was going to wish she died at someone else’s hand. 

Two copies appeared in front of the raven as Naruto dropped his Kusarigama taking off straight towards Fuka. A wind scythe attack ripped the sword from her and left cuts all down her skin. A water cannon knocked her back and off balance. She was left trying to straighten herself back up before a white-hot weight landed on her chest and she felt claws imbed themselves into her skull and collarbone.

Naruto’s long, sharp canines carved through her neck as he bit down, his hands pushing and pulling Fuka’s cursed head from her repulsive body. He heard her gurgling screams and delighted in her anguish. When he ripped it from her torso, he grabbed a dagger from his pouch and scalped the decapitated head for good measure. He held the mangled head above himself for everyone to see as rage still ran rampant through his veins. As he heard the crowd cheer with sickening glee, he threw the bloody mess to the ground and smashed his foot into the skull amused by the delicious crunch underneath his boot. His copies vanished as he approached his teammate.

Kurenai’s eyes were wide with shock when she whispered, “Kakashi, he didn’t just kill her...”

“He tore her apart. She hurt Sasuke to get to him and she paid for it dearly. She would have died anyway but Naruto is more merciful usually. He was far from it this time,” Kakashi stated, both eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto crush her skull underfoot.

The overseer lowered his eyepatch, and quickly turned to get to his students as quickly as possible. Sasuke’s wound wasn’t just a scrape. They might have to pay a medic to heal him up a bit. That would probably be easy enough, Naruto had taken down a criminal who’d been waiting judgement for a long while. He and Sasuke would earn plenty.

Sasuke’s breaths were coming hard after watching his idiot friend kill without any restraint whatsoever. He eyes stayed on the blonde’s face once Naruto turned and began walking over to him. Those fox eyes were focused on Sasuke as he licked off the blood that covered his mouth and then wiped the rest away with one of his forearms. 

Those raging eyes surveyed Sasuke’s wound, Naruto pulling water from the air and causing it to rotate over his palm, “Sasuke heat this up.”

Sasuke lifted his uninjured hand and held it above the vortex, heating the water with a little flame until it began steaming.

“This might hurt,” Naruto warned, his voice echoing even through the murmur, as he cleaned the wound carefully.

Sasuke winced, falling to one knee as the pain pulsed through his arm. Naruto had lowered with him. 

“Do you want me to stitch it up or do you want to wait for Kakashi? Thankfully, it doesn’t look too deep.”

Sasuke couldn’t stand it anymore, “Naruto, what happened? You just lost it and literally ripped her head from her shoulders.”

Naruto took out a scroll, activating the storage seal on it causing a first aid kit to appear, “She hurt you on purpose to get to me. The Fox wanted blood. I figured I could take care of both quickly.” 

“Are you listening to yourself?” Sasuke asked surprised by Naruto no nonsense tone.

“Yes. Hold still please.”

Naruto took out the proper thread and needle, cutting it with one his claws. As soon as he had it threaded, he carefully touched near the slice down Sasuke’s arm and began stitching him up. Sasuke was in too much shock, watching him act this way, to even notice the added pain. His head turned when he noticed people coming through the doors along the wall of the arena. One door had cleaning crews exiting out of it and out the other came Kakashi, with Aoda wrapped around his neck, and Kurenai.

Kakashi came to kneel next to Naruto, the blonde’s discarded Kusarigama in hand, “You’re doing well Naruto. I still plan on paying a medic to look at Sasuke. You two earned a thousand dollars today, we have plenty to pay for his medical care.”

“Good,” Naruto answered focusing on what he was doing. “I don’t know how she got to him so fast, but she did this because of me and she had to die immediately.”

Kakashi only nodded before looking at the Uchiha when he cleared his throat.

“She switched places with one of the weaker energy signatures or shadows or whatever they were,” Sasuke said it explanation. “Naruto, are you okay?”

Naruto quickly tied off the last suture, “I am now that you are okay, and she is dead.” Naruto smiled as he put his supplies away, releasing a ragged sigh.

Sasuke carefully stood back up when he saw Aoda reaching his head out to him from Kakashi’s shoulder. He lifted his painless hand up to pet him, but the snake quickly slithered down his arm over his shoulders and to his other arm. He looked like he was studying the wound closely.

_“Master Naruto has every right to be angry,”_ Sasuke and Naruto heard as Aoda let out a long hiss, _“Lord Sasuke does not deserve such treatment.”_

“I’ve fine, Aoda,” Sasuke reassured the snake. “Naruto took care of it and Kakashi said he’ll take me to a medic.”

The serpent seemed pacified for now. After Naruto ran over to fetch Sasuke’s Katana Kakashi and Kurenai led them out of The Colosseum. While they walked the long hall and out the entrance, Sasuke and Naruto were receiving looks they hadn’t ever received before. They weren’t of fear or disgust, but of respect and approval. This was new territory for them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that took forever to write. Along with writing this I have started cleaning up mistakes in the earlier chapters. Fun fun!


	17. Doubts and Fears

After making sure Sasuke received medical attention, in which Naruto was complimented on his first aid work, and they had cleaned up changing into extra shirts Kurenai had carried with her, they went to the farmer’s market to fetch Kurenai’s purchases. Sasuke was annoyed he would have to return the day after next to get the stitches out and for follow-up care but remembered to grab one of the fresh eggs to offer to Aoda as they started their walk back. While passing through, Kakashi decided to explore a little of the town on their way and Sasuke and Naruto were quite happy with the decision.

Aoda was currently happily wrapped around Sasuke’s neck and Naruto had yet to shift back as they entered as area of town that offered electronics of all sorts. The items weren’t anything as fancy as what Ino had carried, but the boys were still curiously looking at the phones and music devices some of the shops offered. Kakashi and Kurenai explained what they could about the products Naruto and Sasuke were interested in. Both Forsaken youths seemed enamored with the portable MP3 players discussing the music they heard at the festival in Cernunnos.

“Kakashi, let them buy something with the money they earned. Don’t you think they deserve it?” Kurenai whispered to the masked man as he fiddled with one of the displays.

"Now now, Kurenai, didn’t we discuss not spoiling the children?” Kakashi quietly joked.

Kurenai swatted his arm, trying to keep a serious face, “Stop it! What have they even been doing on these long train rides?”

“Behaving, well, for the most part,” Kakashi continued to banter.

“Kakashi Hatake! Do you not remember being that young at all?” she scolded.

Kakashi turned around, leaning against one of the tables full of merchandise, “I was in a bit of different situation than they are, Kurenai. My father was held in high esteem until they cut him down. I would   
have rather had shiny, new blades than these gadgets. I had had my fill of all this already.”

“And yet they don’t even know how these things work,” Kurenai commented with a slow roll of her eyes. “So, do you really believe they are spoiled?”

Kakashi gave her a bored look, “Fine, but if Naruto shrieks with excitement and takes out your eardrums you can’t blame me.”

As Kakashi turned back to the boys, he watched as Naruto carefully picked up a pair of over-ear, orange headphones looking at them inquisitively as Sasuke pointed out a smaller, dark violet, warp-around pair. The Uchiha grabbed the ones Naruto was holding placing them over his ears, and then moved one of the cups over, pointing to his ear seeming to comment about the shape. Naruto tilted head in interest and then looked back at the other pair Sasuke was interested in.

“May I help you two? You seem to be discussing the headphones,” a short, lean woman asked Naruto and Sasuke while reaching out to carefully pet the serpent upon the Uchiha’s shoulders. 

Sasuke turned and eyed the strawberry blond-haired woman carefully, “My friend was thinking about getting these orange headphones on my head, but I don’t think they’ll work well for him.”

“He thinks the bars in my ears will make them uncomfortable,” Naruto elaborated.

The woman looked at Naruto, her eyes going wide for only a moment, and then she smiled, “Ah, I see. Yes, you’re right young man. Those wouldn’t be comfortable for your friend for very long. Were you trying to show him these?” she then asked as she picked up the ones Sasuke had pointed out.

Sasuke nodded and the woman carefully began securing them to Naruto’s head. Naruto stayed as still as possible, his scarlet eyes watching her in case he did something that would spook her. 

“How do those feel? Do they feel like they would hurt after a while? Since they wrap around the back of your ear instead of cup over your ear it is unlikely they will bother your piercings,” she informed him.

Naruto looked down at the ground, not used to this kind of attention and quietly answered, “They feel fine.”

“You don’t seem satisfied,” the woman then commented.

“No, they are nice, and they are comfortable but ...” Naruto began and then stopped himself worried of disappointing someone that was actually being kind to him.

Sasuke snickered and then finished Naruto’s statement, “He doesn’t like the color.”

“Oh! Is that all,” the woman happily responded. “They come in all sorts of colors.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not like we can buy them,” Naruto said trying to save her the effort.

Kakashi decided at this moment to come into the conversation, “Actually Naruto, Kurenai convinced me that you guys deserve to buy something with the money you earned.”   
Naruto lit up like the sun at high noon.

“Don’t you dare make any loud, ridiculous noise,” Sasuke warned. He then turned to Kurenai who stood a step or two behind Kakashi, “Thank you, Miss Kurenai.”

“My pleasure,” she smiled.

The saleswoman smiled up at Kakashi, “How much money are they working with, Sir? Do you wish them to have a certain device or product?”

Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets, “The headphones are fine, but they’ll need something to listen to with them.”

The woman immediately went to the stack of headphones she had been headed for when Naruto objected and grabbed a boxed pair that was gloss black with orange details to offer to Naruto. She then looked at Sasuke and grabbed a boxed pair identical to the ones currently on Naruto’s head and another pair that were gray with blue. Sasuke looked at both and then settled on the blue and gray pair. 

“How much music do you two have to upload?” the woman then asked of her young costumers. 

“Upload?” Naruto asked confused, Sasuke mirroring his expression.

“So, this is all new to you then?” the woman continued with her brows raised. “Do you either of you have preference in music?”

“Nothing stuffy,” Naruto answered, scrunching his nose, one sharp tooth escaping his lips through his grimace. 

Sasuke shook his head amused, “We went to a festival in Cernunnos, there was a club thing there. We enjoyed that kind of music but the darker sounding stuff if that makes sense.”

“Was this recently, did it celebrate the Eve of Asmodeus?” she questioned.

Both boys nodded and then she turned quickly, heading to the back, while calling, “Just wait there a second.”

Naruto and Sasuke both looked at their adult counterparts with a bit of confusion before the woman returned carrying a small electronic device with earbuds like on the mics they had to use at the compound. She removed the store’s headphones from their heads placing an earbud into one ear of each boy as music came through. They listened as she would let each song play for several seconds before switching to the next.

“Does this music interest you?”

Naruto grinned ridiculously wide, “Yes, I like it very much.”

Sasuke only nodded in agreement. 

“Ok, well, I will grab you each an MP3 player similar to mine and, after you have paid for everything, upload my music on them for you. It shouldn’t take too long,” she replied as she removed the earbuds, content that she has solved their problem.

“Thank you so much, Sara,” Kurenai inserted as the boys stood there in a bit of shock. “You have always been so nice to everyone you meet.”

“Well, of course. Is there any reason for me not to be?” she replied as she headed to the cash register, the others following.

“I don’t think so, but the world from where they’re from would say otherwise,” Kurenai admitted.

“That it does, that’s why they must have those seals on their necks and the one has to fear me touching him.”

Naruto looked down in embarrassment, he had hoped she hadn’t noticed, “I’m sorry. Most don’t want me even near them.”

“There is nothing for you to apologize for, it’s what you’ve been taught.”

Kakashi paid for the items without much worry, it hardly came to the amount he’d been expecting. The woman charged the MP3 players while uploading her music onto each one. She made sure to explain exactly how to use them, charge them, and marked each with paint marker with either an “S” or an “N”. Thirty minutes later Naruto and Sasuke were carrying bags for themselves and bags of Kurenai’s purchases.

The trek home was enjoyable even if Sasuke was nursing his wounded arm and Naruto still had yet to return to normal. Kakashi had his thoughts on why the latter was happening and didn’t mind it. Naruto was in demon territory now, unless a parade of Empyrean police came through he had nothing to worry about. By the time they reached the cottage the sun had started it’s slow decent and supper needed to be started.

The boys put away their weapons and took showers while Kakashi and Kurenai started preparing a meal. They were joined midway through by the boys and Naruto seemed to have calmed down although he looked exhausted. Now, it was Sasuke’s turn to show his concern.

“Is what she did still affecting you?” he asked as Naruto slumped against the countertop for the third time.

“Yeah, I think I just need to sleep it off. The Fox mentioned that she poisoned my aura so it has to run its course I guess,” Naruto answered. “I think I know why the boys she killed didn’t fight back. It felt good, sorta, like you just wanted whatever she would give you and then, when I snapped out of it, I felt so sick,” Naruto explained as he fought to keep his eyes open. “I want to sleep so bad, but I am also starving.”

“Are you thirsty at all?” Sasuke asked, maybe blood would help him recover faster.

Naruto shook his head in way that made him seem guilty of murder. 

“I let The Fox have his blood when I bit her,” Naruto replied quietly. “I didn’t need it but,” Naruto stopped talking before his left hand was up covering his face, “I wanted it. She hurt you, she did it to spite me.”

Sasuke put his hands on either side of Naruto’s face and made him look him in the eye, “Her blood wasn’t innocent, and I am fine. I wasn’t going to die or anything.”

Naruto only nodded and then returned to helping the others with the stir fry. Sasuke watched him closely, he knew there was more to it. He had acted so strange right after that last fight. And, even now, he wasn’t very talkative and exhaustion wasn’t the reason. Sasuke ran his hand absent mindedly over the bandage on his arm and felt the flick of a tongue in his ear as Aoda observed everything going on.

_“Master Naruto is afraid of himself, afraid of what he can do,”_ the snake quietly hissed in Sasuke’s mind. _“He fears he may end up hurting you more than that someday.”_

Sasuke doubted the snake could hear his thoughts but nodded ever so slightly to acknowledge the serpent’s words. Afraid of himself and of hurting him? But why, he had never come close to hurting anyone close to him yet. What was going on in his friend’s mind?

“He’s telling the truth,” Naruto mumbled in Sasuke’s direction as he picked up some chopped vegetables to add to the skillet. “I was so angry I didn’t care about anything but destroying that woman. I would have done anything to accomplish that goal and it scares me.”

“You’ve always been goal oriented,” Kakashi interrupted as both boys jumped not realizing he had been listening. “I know you’d never hurt any of us. Don’t doubt yourself Naruto, enough people do that already. Just prove them all wrong like you have from the beginning.”

Kurenai had observed everything carefully, their little trio was quite interesting. Over the course of their stay so far, she had come to understand their dynamics well. Sasuke, while arrogant, understood Naruto’s lack of confidence. Naruto was so sure of himself in some situations but questioned himself in so many others. Sasuke was grounded by Naruto, the blond rarely thought of himself which made Sasuke have to think of someone besides himself.

Kakashi must have understood the paring’s match better than he let on, he rarely interrupted their conversations, usually letting them discuss things among themselves. He only spoke if he felt something important really needed to be elaborated on. It was so different then the way she had been treated when she was under the law and she was thankful for that.

Supper was served and eaten with light conversation, Naruto falling to his exhaustion as everyone cleaned up. He was slumped on the couch in the small front room snoring quietly. Aoda had left Sasuke’s shoulders to curl into a ball in Naruto’s lap, his tongue flicking out every now and then. Sasuke soon joined Naruto at the other end of the couch, breathing slow and even. Kurenai nor Kakashi dared wake them, they had quite the day. 

***

They didn’t return to the Colosseum until the end of the week when they were sure Sasuke’s arm was almost properly healed. They had five judgements that day and most were pretty reasonable. No crazy, life-sucking women but there was a man that was interested in Sasuke in the most obvious and disturbing way. 

Sasuke had almost gagged to death when the man announced he wanted his body for his own. He kept slinging many awkwardly sexual comments his way and he was as slithery as Aoda. Supposedly, he had stolen others’ bodies for his own hence why he had been awaiting judgement. He was their hardest and last of the day. It seemed whoever staged these fights liked to make one think they were badass before throwing a curveball.

Naruto was going insane by how many times the man could regenerate himself. He was like a disease, a parasite that refused to die or disappear. The blond had created waves of copies of himself which the man had cackled at as he speared them with a sword that he had regurgitated out of his mouth like it was an everyday occurrence. They quickly found out that sword couldn’t be blocked on its own. No wonder he came out with no selected weapon, he had the best hiding in his stomach. 

Sasuke had observed one major flaw about him during this battle, he hadn’t used any elemental attacks. When the Uchiha looked at his aura it did seem to be stunted. Sasuke watched as Naruto went after him again, avoiding the sword’s swing and slamming an arm full of wind energy into his chest. The gray-skinned, black-haired man went flying into the wall with a crunch but quickly picked himself back up. The Uchiha saw the slight blimp in his cycle though. That man was getting weaker, they needed to hit him hard without any breaks. It’s all that would work.

“Naruto, we need to just keep hitting him like that. He doesn’t have any elemental abilities right now. How much do you have left in you?” Sasuke called out as he quickly started gather energy into one of his palms.

“Like you have to ask! The Fox hasn’t even joined this fight yet,” Naruto answered, his longer Kusarigama swinging out to his right side.

Sasuke grabbed an arrow, his hand setting it alight as he readied it in the bow, “Naruto, let’s do this!”

Naruto began whipping around the arena, coiling the chain around the man just long enough for Sasuke to land an arrow into his flesh. The seconds that it took Sasuke to ready another arrow, Naruto slammed more wind energy into the man through his weapon’s chain to give Sasuke’s fire a bit more heat. The man would find a way to rip the chain off himself with Naruto quickly wrapping it around another part of his body.

It was efficient until the man grabbed ahold of the Kusarigama yanking the blond to himself and slicing straight up his stomach and chest, his blade only missing his chin by inches. Naruto barely back flipped away from the attack holding his carved torso with labored breathing.

“Damn, that hurts,” Naruto mumbled as he let The Fox enter the match to heal the wound. 

Sasuke’s eyes were wide not only from Naruto’s near miss with death, but because the seal was only being blocked by Naruto’s arm currently. The raven quickly slid himself between the man and Naruto, unsheathing his Katana as he returned his bow to his back. 

“Naruto, you can’t fight until you are done healing and The Fox is hidden again. Your seal is practically on display right now,” Sasuke hissed quietly as he kept his eyes on the disgusting man with the ridiculously dark smile.

Naruto grumbled a couple of curses before a long, booming screech of a laugh left the greasy man’s mouth, “What’s hiding behind that seal, boy? Show it to me, I can fix you right up.”

“Shut the hell up!” Sasuke snarled. “He doesn’t need anything from you. Just die already!”

Sasuke looked back to Naruto, the demon energy pulsing from him like a small beacon, “Give me one of your longer daggers, he is going to die.”

Naruto reached into his weapon pouch, fishing out the one he knew Sasuke wanted. He extended his arm forward wincing and placing it into his comrade’s waiting hand. Sasuke nodded in thanks and then launched forward, his scarlet eyes taking in everything they could. They throbbed and burned but he needed them right now and damn it all if he didn’t take this man out as soon as possible.

Sasuke’s blades landed most of their blows. The man’s arms were now completely useless, his miraculous sword laying on the ground abandoned. The criminal still lumbered forward, him insanely happy to finally be fighting the boy of his uninvited affections. Sasuke landed both blades into each of his shoulders, knocking him down to his knees. Pulling the blades out, he the crossed them, swiping in opposite directions around his neck lopping off his head quickly.

Without skipping a beat, Sasuke dropped the dagger to grab the man’s head, setting the thing ablaze as he stabbed his katana through the corpse’s torso. Maybe if they took out the two main points of life the man would finally fucking die. He kept his eyes on the burning skull in his hands and the lifeless body pierced by his sword.

No movement, no breath, no weird twitching or anything signaling him regenerating again. Sasuke let out a heavy sigh of relief and then quickly looked up to Naruto. He was kneeling on the ground, his arm wrapped around himself, with one eye closed as he concentrated on only healing the slice bisecting his trunk. It was no longer bleeding or looking life threatening but it would still make moving uncomfortable. The blond gave Sasuke a thumb’s up and that’s when the Uchiha became aware of the thunderous applause and cheering from the crowd. 

He dropped the disgusting thing in his hand and pulled out his Katana while picking up Naruto’s dagger. He slowly dragged his feet over to the blond, his body protesting against anymore physical exertion. He dropped to his knees in front of Naruto inspecting the healing gash on his abdomen and chest.

“Man, you got that guy’s gross blood on my knife, you bastard,” Naruto teased as he slowly pushed himself up. 

Sasuke quickly joined him, “Are you okay enough to move?”

“It still hurts like a bitch but it’s a lot better than before. I am just trying to get away from all these eyes,” Naruto answered as he wondered over to grab his Kusarigama and then to the door that would offer them an exit. 

The doors opened to reveal Kakashi, wearing Aoda like a scarf, in wait. He looked rightly concerned as he carefully pulled Naruto and Sasuke inside the innards of The Colosseum. He offered a clean, undamaged shirts from his small pack to his trainees and asked if they were feeling well. He was alarmed by how long that fight had gone on. 

Kakashi was actually fuming within himself, he had signed them up for five judgements, but they never mentioned a man like Orochimaru. That man made Fuka look like a preschooler. He had been on the run for decades, only being caught after he took too long to find a new body losing his elemental abilities in the process. It was the boys’ saving grace.

He was surprised only Naruto had faced this large of an injury. Thankfully, it wasn’t very deep, and he was able to remain conscious enough to still be aware of himself. His shirt being sliced open had definitely been an issue, some might have knowledge to know what that mark on his abdomen could mean. The Uzumaki had kept most of it covered after Sasuke took responsibly for ending the whole thing.

Sasuke helped Naruto remove his ruined training top and get into his other shirt. He noted the wound was closed now but was still red and irritated. They both heard Aoda hiss in concern and quickly find a way to observe it himself from the ground.

“Naruto, is there a way to heal it more quickly? Can you go walking through town like that?” Sasuke questioned.

“I’m fine, Sasuke. You carried bags and walked through town with a sliced-up arm,” Naruto assured his friend as he reached out to Aoda and then placed him inside Sasuke’s quiver.

“We better pick up your earnings then and head out,” Kakashi commented, turning around to head to designated window.

The two boys followed behind Kakashi, exhausted but ready to leave. That had been one hell of a training session. Sasuke kept his scarlet eyes trained on Naruto. The Uchiha knew Naruto could heal fast, but didn’t he say the more often he used the Fox’s powers like that, the more blood he would need? That had been a larger wound, would it make him thirst sooner?

The man at the window smiled mischievously as Kakashi approached. It made the overseer tense and his eye narrow. They must have gotten exactly what they wanted from his two trainees with that line-up.

“I am hear to pick up the Uzumaki’s and Uchiha’s earnings, please,” Kakashi announced as he neared the window. 

“Of course you are,” the man agreed. “So, I think I figured out your little team’s strategy. You have the possessed who can take hits like a pro in the front when the dark-haired, pretty boy stays in the back. He’s the brains so he refuses to put himself out there while the other is just the bran so who cares if he puts himself in harm’s way.”

“Excuse me?” Kakashi harshly replied.

“I mean, it’s a good strategy. The only reason the Uchiha got hurt with Fuka is because he didn’t calculate that she could switch with those weird shadows that people claim she has.”

Sasuke was severely annoyed. He would never put Naruto in harm’s way just to save himself. Would he? No, that’s not why it happened at all. Fuka was supposed to be Naruto’s kill, and Orochimaru had to be taken on creatively. Naruto is the heavier hitter and it made sense to have him up front as Sasuke kept landing arrow after arrow into his flesh. He wasn’t sacrificing him, was he?

Sasuke started to doubt himself. Maybe he did rely on Naruto’s quick healing too much, having him take hits that he didn’t need to. Perhaps he calculated things just assuming that risk because the blond seemed invincible in the long run. Was he possibly being selfish and not thinking much about the health of his comrade? Just because he had never been sick and healed quickly didn’t mean he never felt pain or had to deal with the consequences. Shit, maybe the guy was right.

“While it may seem that way to you, Sasuke also takes many risks. Is he not the one that took Orochimaru out in the end?” Kakashi defended his trainee.

The man chuckled, “Only after the possessed was worn down.”

Kakashi glared at the man and waited for him to count the bills from his cash drawer. If he was correct, they should be earning at least two grand today. Orochimaru had to be worth more than Fuka and the boys had entertained the crowd. They had fulfilled their end of the bargain well, now he was just waiting for the Colosseum to fulfill theirs.

“Here you go,” the man drawled out as he offered the cash. “Fifteen hundred because we are giving the Uchiha that cursed sword.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that,” Kakashi replied in annoyance.

“Well, technically, we just have to give you anything of that value so, yeah, you agreed to it.” 

Kakashi wasn’t going to argue more than he had to. He needed to get his trainees to a place they could rest, and possibly eat. He didn’t think they’d make it back to Kurenai’s on fumes. He took what he was offered and was told the sword would be waiting for them at the exit. 

And it was, wrapped in cloth and with a rope tied to each end for carrying. Naruto grabbed it since Sasuke already had his bow and quiver hanging from his torso. The rope rubbed against the front of him, and even through the shirt it somewhat irritated his healing injury. Maybe if they got somewhere secluded he could store their weapons in the aura paper he just happened to grab before leaving the cottage. It would definitely make things easier.

Sasuke wasn’t paying attention to much anymore, his mind still gnawing on what that man had said. He didn’t want to think it was true because it wasn’t. He wasn’t that arrogant and self-centered, was he? During a fight, Naruto never mentioned a problem or issue with Sasuke’s ideas. But, then again, Naruto didn’t really complain about much, he was force fed that he wasn’t supposed to.

The Uzumaki did what he was told without question unless he knew, for sure, there was wiggle room. Sure, he would rebel with small things, and he did absolutely go against anything Kakashi would allow when he loosened the seal, but that was to save himself, to save The Fox. Never once had he asked Sasuke to do anything that threatened himself. Naruto didn’t even get mad when he was whipped in town and no one was able to stop it. He had been hurt and depressed for a while, but he never really held it against anyone.

And Sasuke, he gave everyone attitude in one way or another. He backtalked and glared, planned and schemed, but nothing even really came back to bite him in the ass. He was never humiliated in the middle of town or thrown through a gauntlet of mental torture like Naruto had been through in his early life and recently. Was he just adding to it, to Naruto’s idea of his own worth? Was he just using him as a meat shield?

“Are we eating here?” interrupted Sasuke’s thoughts.

“Yes, Naruto. I thought you two might need something after all that unless you’re against it,” Kakashi said with a flippant look on his masked face.

“Him, against food? Great joke,” Sasuke managed to respond.

“Alright then,” the overseer nodded as he continued into the small café.

It wasn’t exactly charming, with its industrial feel of exposed pipes on the ceiling and polished concrete floors. The walls were rough blocks with splashes of muted color every now and then. A woman in a black apron and tight bun atop her head led them to a high-top table with stools that had cement seat on top of wire frames. 

“Should we really be here with all our weapons, Kakashi?” Naruto asked, his red-eyes scanning the groups of people already eating.

“You could store them in that aura paper in your left back pocket if you want,” Kakashi commented as he plucked the small menu from the center of the table.

Sasuke snickered at Naruto’s surprised expression, “You know he notices everything, you dolt.”

Naruto glared for a moment at the Uchiha and then turned back to his Master, “Can I? Where should I do it though?”

“Just go out back. Sasuke, you go with him to store yours as well.”

The boys returned maybe ten minutes after they left, less cluttered and looking lighter. Aoda was no longer in the quiver, obviously, but looped around Sasuke’s neck. Kakashi handed them the menu watching them to decide what they would like. He had a feeling Naruto’s would be the bloodiest thing he could find while Sasuke’s would be something more reasonable. The waitress jumped back at the sight of two pairs of scarlet eyes before she quickly recovered and took all their orders.

***

They were back on that train station platform. They hadn’t seen Kurenai as much since she had to work quite a few shifts at the green house for the last couple weeks, but she was there now. She gave the three of them packed meals and hugs in farewell before disappearing into a swirl of leaves as the train approached from afar. Sasuke and Naruto had learned countless things from her and appreciated every single lesson.

Kakashi watched as the train pull up while the annoyed conductor opened the one door of the train that met the platform. He grunted in annoyance before asking to see their tickets and paperwork. Naruto wasn’t hiding under a hood anymore, he liked the freedom he had in this area and was going to hold on to it as long as he could, Sasuke and Kakashi didn’t seem to care. Both youths had donned their gloves and they had internally whined as this would be a daily occurrence again.

After the conductor ordered the “Forsaken filth” to load the baggage onto the car behind the current one he stood in, which involved them having to get directly onto the tracks, they entered the car to stares of all sorts. The Uchiha and the Uzumaki followed silently behind the older man until they reached their seats. 

Sitting across from their seats was a mother and her small son who was asleep in her arms. She smiled softly as they sat down and continued humming a gentle tune as the toddler contently lounged over her shoulder. Naruto and Sasuke silently put their bags on the shelf above their seats before sitting down. Kakashi held up to a finger as a sign for them to wait there as he went elsewhere on the train. The young Forsakens nodded in understanding.

Kakashi returned with the news that they would be on this train for three and a half hours and then they would switch trains. They would travel on that train for almost two days before reaching Nysa, land of the Deities. Kakashi began to instruct them on what to expect, rough treatment, containment, and tons of tests, physical, blood, and mental, to even get into the tournaments. Sasuke and Naruto nodded as they took in the information.

After Kakashi’s lecture was complete, both boys dug out their headphones and audio devices to relax in their seats as they worked their way through their newfound music libraries. Kakashi watched as they slowly fell into quiet slumbers and the woman with her already sleeping son soon fell to the same fate. Kakashi watched as the sun continue to rise into the sky until his own eye fell closed.

***

Naruto and Sasuke had be grimacing or scowling as soon as they got off the train which was twenty minuting ago. Naruto had gotten spat on five, now six times and Sasuke had been accidently ran into, elbowed, or hit just a many. Kakashi didn’t seem to be too happy either.

Sasuke eyes narrowed dangerously as they continued to wait for their next train to arrive.

“Oh, how I have missed angel territory,” he sarcastically commented.

“Jumping for joy over here,” Naruto huffed as he wiped the loogie off his left cheek. “I really love showering in saliva.” 

Kakashi turned to them, an eyebrow lifted, “Angel hospitality is a required taste.”

“Riiiiiiiiight,” Naruto replied as a crumpled piece of trash hit him in the back of the head.

Sasuke caught the pieced of refuse as it bounced off the blonde’s skull, holding it between his hands and burning it quickly to ash as he growled. They had been within Empyrean borders before and never dealt with this much prejudice just standing still. Sure, Naruto wasn’t covering his ears, but he wasn’t being rude, obnoxious, or loud and yet he stood there taking abuse. Sasuke was putting up with just as much and got knocked into Naruto with the next accidental “bump” he received. Naruto thankfully caught him, but he was now fuming.

“Sir Kakashi, how much longer do we have to stand here?” Sasuke quietly demanded as he regained his balance. 

“Train N070 to Nysa is what we are looking for,” Kakashi stated as he pointed to the multiple lit up billboards showing the arrival times of the incoming trains. “It looks like it is running late, so we will standing here half an hour longer.”

“Isn’t that just fuckin’ peachy,” Naruto said as he glared at a woman giving him the stink eye.

Thankfully, the Uchiha and the Uzumaki found a corner to take cover in as they waited. Kakashi kept his attention trained on the information boards only calling the youths out of their hiding place when the train was incoming. They quickly headed to the gate their ride was currently residing and the machine sitting on the tracks had both Forsakens’ full attention. 

It was the shiniest thing they had ever seen while being sleek, smooth, and ridiculously extravagant. The crew members that were supervising the loading of the luggage wore uniforms of the purest white with gold embellishments and glittering touches. Naruto started feeling a bit uneasy the longer he looked at them, they reminded him of that stupid prick with the electric cane. 

Sitting inside the absurdly embellished monstrously of transportation made Sasuke want to vomit. Of course, the sleeper car they occupied was just a shell of the bare necessities but everything outside it was just a show of wasted wealth. The people that got to enjoy that shit believed they were entitled to these great things. He heard them degrade their Forsaken servants with uncalled punishments so they wouldn’t believe they deserved the things rightfully belonging to angels. Those same people had mocked and laughed at Naruto and himself as they observed the demon-blooded slaves like cattle ready for the butcher making Kakashi offers while they headed to this sparse car.

Naruto was practically vibrating with aggressive annoyance and Sasuke wasn’t much better the overseer perceived with a calculating mind. If the training didn’t drive them to fight like the demons they were during the tournaments, he would bet his Uchihan eye this train ride would. He knew Naruto would most likely need to quench his thirst on this train ride and that would be dealt with as soon as everyone else was asleep. He doubted either boy would get much of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long. I got distracted reading others lovely writing and felt mine wasn't too great but I am back at it! Enjoy.


	18. Not So Heavenly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time writing this chapter but enjoy none the less.

Naruto’s right leg was bouncing up and down like the needle on a Richter Scale, his red eyes wide as he tried to just not, not smell their blood, not hear the closest heartbeats ringing in his ears, not run his tongue along his sharpened teeth wanting to taste that liquid warmth going down his throat. Sasuke was watching him, along with Aoda who had come out of hiding in Sasuke’s hoodie. The demon jailer knew they were, he could feel that along with all these other sensations he was trying to ignore. Kakashi had left an hour or so ago to hopefully grab some leftover food from the dining car, Kurenai’s food eaten when on the other, shorter ride. The man had figured the chef and servers would be willing to get rid of anything this late at night.

The door that led out into the other cars finally slid open and Kakashi entered. He had plastic containers that held nutritional offerings, but all Naruto could think about was the man handing over a vial full of red liquid. Naruto eyes pleaded with him, well, as much as demon eyes could. He watched in relief when his master sat down and quickly grabbed the needed equipment. Sasuke took care of it all now, letting the man relax as some of his blood was syphoned out. Sasuke handed over the tube before removing the needle.

The Uchiha watched as Naruto poured the blood down his throat, all the tension leaving his body in response. His friend had explained that being around the scent of all the pure bloods was making his thirst come more into focus. It was like placing a starving man in front of a buffet and telling him he can’t touch any of it. Unlike Naruto’s worries, Sasuke wasn’t disgusted by his explanation but easily understood. It just made sense.

Once Kakashi’s equipment was returned to the bag under his bed, the raven grabbed the container left on his own bunk. The Uchiha realized his demon-containing friend was waiting for him to eat before he would open his own. Sasuke sat beside the Uzumaki while Kakashi sprawled out on his bottom bunk, opening one of his perverted novels as he snacked on whatever he grabbed himself. The scraps Kakashi procured for them in the middle of the night were quite satisfying. 

Naruto and Sasuke did manage to grab an few hours of sleep until the train stopped at another destination in its route that seemed to be celebrating something. Fireworks were exploding in the sky and there were screams and shouts as a group headed toward the train. Naruto was covering his ears while Kakashi grabbed Sasuke and dragged him over to the window.

“Take in some of your competition, Sasuke,” the man instructed as he began writing things down in his notebook that always seemed to appear out of nowhere, his own red eye exposed.

Sasuke’s crimson orbs were alert as he took in the group of individuals Kakashi had pointed out. Definitely Sanctified with the way their auras looked but their teams, if the way they seemed to group together was a hint, seemed unbalanced. One member would have a developed, strong cycle while the other just seemed to have enough experience to be considered trained. He made sure to also notice the groups movements to see if he could see any weaknesses or any unseen dependencies. 

“How does it look, Sasuke?” Naruto asked from the top bunk, gently stroking Aoda’s back.

“I think we have a good chance against these two teams if my eyes are picking up everything,” the raven responded. “I can’t really tell the elemental abilities we’ll be dealing with, but I know you can handle that part, right idiot?”

“Of course, bastard,” Naruto smiled. “The Fox and I will have that part covered.”

“Is this ridiculous celebration for them?” Sasuke asked as they finally started boarding the train.

“Yes. The town is excited that more demon blood will be spilled proving the superiority of Empyrean race,” Kakashi recited in a bored tone and then had one hand mimicking a puppet. “They just bring sin, corruption, and death upon the world. They must die in sacrifice for the purity of the population. Blah, blah, blah.”

“Nice,” Naruto said lying flat on his stomach with his hands as his pillow, the serpent now comfortably curled up in his wild hair. “The Fox wishes to inform them he is made of something pure, pure hatred.” Naruto chuckled, his scarlet eyes opened as his teeth grew pointed. “I will make them beg for mercy,” came the low rumble of the great demon’s voice, “they will learn their power is absolutely nothing, maybe not this time around but sooner than they think.”

***

Kakashi wandered the train, taking in the occupants as the dining car opened for breakfast. The two Sanctified teams had boarded around 3:00am. Naruto and Sasuke had fortunately fallen back to sleep an hour or so after it departed the area littered with fireworks. They had yet to awaken, but the Empyrean challengers were already up and bragging about their future victories. 

The gray-haired combat veteran had left a note in the room to let his trainees know where to find him. He suspected they would be up shortly, the train was humming with activity. Soon a smirk was hidden behind his mask as he sensed them coming his direction, the insults and angered surprise were also clues that the two walked freely towards him. He turned as Naruto grasped his elbow, looking around with apprehension, Sasuke standing a step behind him with an indifferent expression and anger hidden within his eyes.

“Good morning, did you two sleep well? The dining car just opened for breakfast,” Kakashi informed them.

“As well as expected,” Sasuke answered in a low tone as he took in the people around them. “Are we allowed in the dining car?”

“Well, as long as I need your services, yes, and I need your services,” Kakashi answered as he motioned them to follow.

Naruto stuffed his gloved hands deep in his hoodie pocket as he walked behind his overseer slightly to the right while Sasuke covered the man’s left. He heard, even through the spoken offences, private conversations among the other riders. It appeared people were already talking bets involving the tournament competitors. He wondered if Kakashi was going to place a few. When Naruto looked Sasuke’s direction to comment on this, he noticed the slight grin upon his features.

“They’re right ahead, Naruto. The two teams that bordered last night. The two brunette guys seem to be together and then the girl with the long hair and the guy with the black hair sticking up everywhere are a team,” Sasuke whispered in Naruto’s direction knowing the blond could hear him perfectly.

The next car they stepped into went quiet as Kakashi and his demon-blooded guests entered. Naruto noticed the four people Sasuke had mentioned and watched as disgusted expressions painted their faces. Kakashi found a table close to the door they passed through and sat down gesturing that Naruto and Sasuke should do the same across from him.

A waiter made his way down the aisle and dug out three menus from his apron. Both Forsaken boys noticed the very edge of his aura seal peeking out of the cream-colored dress shirt he wore with a soft green tie. His light brown hair was cropped close to his scalp and his copper eyes seemed focused only on the tasks he was meant to do. When he finally looked up to hand them their menus with green-gloved hands he smiled at Kakashi, then looked to the two others and his grin only grew.

“Well, hello there. There isn’t much on the breakfast menu so I will just wait until you decide, and you are welcome to ask any questions.”

Kakashi looked over it quickly, “I will just take the standard breakfast platter with a coffee, thanks. Naruto? Sasuke?”

“Whatever the chef won’t spit in,” Naruto murmured when he noticed the man in his tall hat watching them.

The waiter quietly snickered, “Oh, don’t worry. I can always accidentally switch plates, as I said, the menu is small this morning.”

“And if they catch you, won’t you be dealing with quite a bit of pain?” Sasuke questioned.

“It would be worth it. I don’t get to see my kind here too often,” he replied quietly and then looked at the table of their competitors. He raised his voice to a normal audible level as he asked his next question, “You would like to share the buffet platter? With orange juice?”

Sasuke let a small, dark grin crack across his face, “Only if our master approves, Sir Kakashi?”

“Sure, why not,” he answered. 

Once the waiter walked away Naruto turned to Sasuke, “Did I miss something?”

Sasuke picked up the salt shaker, pretending to examine it, “We’re getting the same thing our competitors ordered, they will get the one that is spat in.”

Naruto eyes went wide and then narrowed, “I like this turn of events.”

“As do I.”

The food arrived a short time after their drinks. They had watched as the waiter had bumped into a chair and spun to avoid more of a collision while also turning his tray a few degrees in his hand expertly. The chef eyed him as he placed each plate in front of the Empyrean team and nodded his approval before the older boy headed their direction. He set down their food with an added wink to go with his   
smile and wished them a good meal.

Naruto and Sasuke watched in amusement as the other table inhaled their food while sending scowls and glares in their direction. The platter was plenty to share between them, and they had absolutely no complaints. It soon became obvious that the other table had a few when they called the chef to their table and pointed at the overseer and his trainees. The chef said something and the whole table laughed, too bad the joke was on them.

***

Two boys were now looking out the large dome windows of the observation car as the sights outside the car passed by. The landscape had changed since they were headed towards a more tropical climate. It looked like summer outside even if the train was cool while Sasuke and Naruto pointed out different things to each other. Naruto was amazed by the different fauna and foliage while Sasuke was commenting on the variations of the towns and cities they passed by. Kakashi sat and let them enjoy themselves for a while before interrupting their relaxation.

“When we finally arrive in Nysa, you two will need some updating,” he stated as he flipped to the next page in his book.

“Updating?” Sasuke questioned with an annoyed tone. “Please don’t tell me this is, again, for entertainment purposes. I am getting tired of having to put on a show.”

Kakashi gave him a look from the corner of his eye, “It’s good sportsmanship. You want to give them something to remember you by.”

“Ok, what does this ‘sportsmanship’ involve?” the Uchiha asked as he turned to look across Narutos back with arms crossed against his chest.

The blond was listening but still looking out the window, “Do we need catch phrases or something?”

“Catch phrases? What the hell, idiot?” the raven demanded.

“Something to remember us by, ya know.”

Kakashi chuckled, “No, nothing that ridiculous. I was thinking some haircuts and maybe a few additions to your wardrobes.”

Naruto caught his reflection in the train window and started messing with his shaggy, almost overgrown, blond locks, “Haircuts?”

Kakashi nodded, “Just to clean you up a bit, make you a tad more presentable.”

“I can understand you saying that about Naruto, but it’s not like I am a slob,” Sasuke taunted just to watch his teammate’s head turn slowly with that death glare that amused him.

***

Naruto woke up to Aoda’s tongue tickling his ear. He rubbed his eyes and opened them to see yellowish orbs watching him closely. 

_“The train has stopped. We are not near a town or city, I am confused,”_ the serpent stated as his head swayed side to side. 

Naruto sat up on his high bunk, trying to avoid colliding with the ceiling, and then hung over the edge to check if Sasuke was awake. He snapped his fingers twice and felt a hand grab them before he could snap them a third time.

“Are we stopped?” Sasuke asked almost inaudibly.

“Yes,” Naruto almost hissed as Aoda hung his own head down to look at the Uchiha.

“What platform?”

“None. Aoda said there is nothing nearby, we have just stopped on the tracks.”

“There may be something that needs maintenance on the train,” a sleep filled voice relayed from the other side of their small room. “Or Empyrean Law Keepers could be inspecting the train.”

“In the middle of nowhere?” the Uzumaki asked, Sasuke’s hand still holding his own still.

“Best place to do so, no one would be expecting it,” Kakashi replied.

In seconds, angry voices carried to their door, demanding papers and boarding passes. Naruto grabbed their scale-covered friend and shoved him under the thin blankets of his bunk before dropping down to the floor. Sasuke had already grabbed Kakashi’s bag to pull out the folder of all their documentation. The man took the folder from his trainee to pull out exactly what they would need before the door was roughly slid open.

Naruto was almost immediately blinded by a flashlight in his face, and then grunted in surprise as he was lifted off the floor by the front of his shirt.

“Do you have papers for this parasite?” the second Law Keeper asked as he glared at the blond in question before turning to Kakashi. 

“I have papers for them both. They have been vetted and properly documented,” Kakashi answered as Naruto stayed as calm as he could while hanging in the air, Sasuke on alert against the back wall.

The shorter man grabbed the forms, moving his flashlight to read them, while the other man shook Naruto trying to get some type of annoyed response from him. The only thing that came from Naruto was a gasp when he hit the floor, the man dropping him out of boredom. Sasuke calmly walked over to his comrade to help him up but was shoved to the side by that same man, and then pushed down into a kneeling position.

Once the papers were verified, the second man forcibly pulled the back of the shirts down to inspect their seals.

“Activate them,” the Law Keeper demanded.

“Is that truly necessary?” the overseer questioned. “You’ve seen with your own eyes that the seal is intact.”

“You’re questioning my superior’s orders?” the first angrily responded. “Do it.”

Kakashi looked at the two young boys kneeling on the floor hoping he could make up for this, holding up his hand and doing what he was told. Both seals glowed as the power ran through them, sending searing pain down its victims’ spinal columns. Strangled, almost silent, screams came from both until they were curled up on the floor shaking violently.

“Satisfied?” Kakashi managed to say in a bored tone trying to appease these disgusting people so they would leave. 

The larger one smirked and turned around to leave, while the shorter one watched closely. What he was waiting for, Kakashi wasn’t sure, but after a few moments he finally turned and left heading to the next car. Kakashi strode the few steps forward to slide the door shut before turning to the bodies lying on the floor.

“Fuck them, fuck them all,” Sasuke croaked out with sputtering breath.

“Yeah,” Naruto agreed as he pushed himself up.

The Uzumaki scooted closer to his friend to lift his head up, onto his bent knees, hoping to make it easier for the Uchiha to breathe. Naruto may recover from this faster, but even he was panting while Sasuke was still struggling to recover the use of his muscles, his lungs, his heart. The pain lingered, and the blond knew Sasuke was going to take a while. Kakashi had upped the power involved to make it convincing or they would have been dealt the punishment multiple times until those jackasses felt fulfilled.

Kakashi kneeled next to them as his placed his hand on Sasuke’s chest, “I hated doing that, you have no idea.”

“It’s just another move in the game,” Naruto said quietly. “When do we get to make ours?”

“You know when, idiot,” Sasuke replied with a rasp, his eyes closed as his breath finally began returning to normal. “We need to get rid of as many as we can in The Tournaments. They can’t even prosecute us for it, death is expected.”

_“Death would be lenient for what they have done to this world,”_ Aoda hissed as he slithered across the floor. _“It was never meant to be this way.”_

“I’ve dreamed about it,” whispered Naruto.

“About killing them off?” Kakashi questioned as his other hand moved to lift the blonde’s fringe from in front of his eyes.

“Sure, but that wasn’t what I was talking about. I was talking about what Aoda said, the way the world was supposed to be before everything went to shit,” he answered before lifting his blues eyes to look at his overseer. “Before Angels and angel-bloods decided we were nothing but garage.”

“Tell me about one of them,” Sasuke spoke as he slowly sat up and looked at his friend. “I noticed the lack of nightmares but knew you were still dreaming about something.”

“Ah, well, that’s a bit complicated. I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Naruto nervously chuckled as he scratched his cheek. “I don’t know, think of Heaven, but at night with a rainbow of bright colorful stars and demons, free to be them.”

“Free to be them?” Kakashi repeated as he sat down, joining on the floor.

“Yeah, like, just everyone happily mixed together, and then when day comes, the angels come out more and the demons kind of take a back seat. It was a perfect balance,” Naruto continued then sighed as his eyes fell to the floor. “I know I am not explaining it right.”

“No, I think I can picture what you are trying to say. That sounds like a much better life than this mockery of it,” Sasuke encouraged. 

“It does sound a lot like the legends I heard when I was really young,” Kakashi added. “Things my dad will tell me before he was killed.”

Suddenly the train lurched forward causing the three of them to steady themselves on the floor. Naruto and Sasuke crawled over to the curtained window to look outside noting the two law enforcement vehicles leaving the area as the train slowly moved forward. They watched until their taillights were no longer visible.

“Go back to bed and try to get a little more sleep,’ Kakashi advised as he retrieved the serpent from the floor and draped it over Sasuke’s shoulder. “We still have another day of travel.”

***

The next day was much like the first although the two Sanctified teams already on the train were joined by two more. They seemed to flock together like crackling chickens, constantly needing to hear about themselves. There was a quiet one among them, but he was more unnerving than the others. He was observing everything with keen eyes, even drawing out things if he found them interesting enough. He approached Naruto willingly and sat down gracefully beside him a little after lunch.

“Are those bars just for show or are you dumb enough to show off the real thing?” he asked. “You’re pretty calm for one possessed.”

Naruto turned to look up at Kakashi who nodded and then back to the older boy sitting next to him, “They aren’t for show. Are the possessed you met in collars and chains?”

“Of course, as they should be. I am surprised you were even allowed on the train. Maybe you’re castrated to calm you down,” the older boy answered.

“Castrated?” the blond questioned in confusion.

“Yeah, I bet your dickless.”

Sasuke glared at the older boy who was now leaning closer to Naruto then was socially appropriate, “He is still intact. We have been told we were probably kept alive for breeding purposes.” 

“Yeah, I still have my boy bits, thanks,” Naruto replied as his gloved hands ended up between his legs.

The older boy turned to look at Sasuke before responding, “Well, two males can’t produce young so what is the point in that?”

“Excuse me?” Sasuke growled. “Obviously not to breed us together. You have more pride in your race than that, don’t you? The Empyreans are the ones that kept us alive for such a purpose.” 

“Yes, but if I recognize your overseer correctly, he is none other than the Tainted combat veteran, Kakashi Hatake. I have read he is intelligent but to have you two under his wing, maybe some injuries he received during the Rebellion took that away from him. It seems not all of our kind deserve their angelic properties.”

“I think that will be enough from you,” Kakashi interrupted before motioning for his trainees to get up from their seats in the observation car. “You might want to be better informed before you open your mouth again. Have a good day.”

The Mephistophelians followed closely behind Kakashi and could feel the bottled anger radiating off the man. They knew his past wasn’t something he liked addressed so lightly by other people. It was becoming even more evident as sparks started sizzling off one of his palms. He stopped to grab one of the metal bars, his eye narrowed as the electricity dispersed through the object. 

There were a few yelps and surprised gasps as people got shocked down the line but neither boy took notice. If anything, Sasuke seemed to send his own weak wave of current through the train for his own amusement. Naruto made sure not to touch anything for a few minutes, that was until he was grabbed to shoved against the side of the train.

“It was you, wasn’t it? You diseased thing,” the black-haired boy from one of the first two teams hissed. 

“What are you talking about?” the possessed in question asked holding his hands up in surrender.

“The lightning element that went rolling down the train.”

“I am a wind and water element user. No lightning here, check my wrists.”

The boy did just that, grabbing his sleeves with his one gloved hand, checking either wrist and then let go of him disappointed. Naruto looked around noticing Sasuke nor Kakashi were in sight, he heard them though, their footfalls easily recognized. As he turned to walk away he was stopped again.

“I didn’t say you could leave,” the boy stated, his fist filled with the hood of the blonde’s sweatshirt. “Who was it? You were close to it, I sensed it.”

“They were in front of me actually and they seem to be headed back this way,” Naruto answered with a grin. “Sir Kakashi, I am over here! Please forgive me for falling behind!” Naruto called out.

The dark-haired boy took a step back as the tall, gray-haired, masked man appeared in front of him. Kakashi still hadn’t recovered from his bad mood and his eye zeroed in on the hand that still had a weak hold on Naruto’s shirt.

“Did he do something that upset you?” Kakashi asked the kid, his hand finally dropping to his side.

“I just thought he was the one that sent the electrical current down the train,” the slightly older boy answered, his eyes widening as Kakashi leaned over to be level with him.

“No. If your sensory abilities were as developed as they should be, you would have noticed Sasuke was the one in control of that element like myself,” Kakashi retorted. “I was the one that did that, and I made sure it wasn’t anything that could harm anyone. It was about as strong as a static charge on a cold winter day.”

“I apologize for keeping your servant from you, sir,” the Sanctified answered back quickly. “I will be more observant next time.”

“That would be greatly appreciated,” the man responded before standing straight, nodding to his trainees, and turning back the way he came with them following closely behind.

“You handled yourself well, Naruto,” Kakashi said once they were back to their car of bunk beds. 

“Thanks,” was the boy’s simple response.

***

They were an hour away from their final destination and decided to skip dinner in the dining car. Kakashi had promised wherever they were staying before everything got under way would have more options and be a bit more of a friendly atmosphere. It wasn’t a hotel or inn but another acquaintance of their overseer. He refused to say who, but they trusted his judgement. 

Naruto looked at his dead MP3 player in annoyance, their room didn’t come with outlets since they were undeserving slaves. He just wanted something to pass the time and he had nothing of interest, well, except his mother’s journal or the sealing book and both of those usually caused interesting scenarios. Sasuke seemed to be in a similar state of boredom as he stared out the slender window with his chin resting on his palm. Aoda was curled on Kakashi’s lap, the tip of his tail twitching side to side looking about as entertained as the rest of them.

“Sixty minutes of this, I wish I could prank the whole train or something,” Naruto suddenly voiced.

“That would be amusing but what would you do without sending the entire train into chaos?” Sasuke spoke as his head fell, his forehead now in his palm instead of his chin.

“I don’t know, give them a little scare somehow. What would someone not expect to see on a train like this?”

Sasuke turned his head and looked at one of the things they’d been hiding the entire time, “A snake.”

A fox-like grin spread across the blonde’s face, “Oh Aoda!” he sing-songed.

“Naruto, I thought you wanted to keep him safe. I doubt him possibly getting trampled by the people on board would fit into that,” Kakashi commented.

“Oh, come on. He was only injured that one time because another demon was a jerk. You think those people have any hope in this enclosed space?” Naruto said with a sinister edge. “You have no idea what he can do.”

“What can he do?” Sasuke asked with much interest.

“Come on Kakashi, wanna watch?”

“I never gave you permission,” Kakashi replied. “I suggest the dining car.”

Kakashi got up to lead the way and passed the serpent over to the Uchiha who gave him a smile. Aoda already understood what they wanted him to do and wasn’t close to being against it. Demons loved causing chaos, even if just a little bit and he was no exception. He tucked himself into Sasuke’s hoodie pocket and waited.

Sasuke followed Kakashi as usual but was hoping at least one of the Sanctified teams would be eating right now, it would just make it a little more amusing. As luck would have it, three of the four were seated near each other having a lively conversation. 

Sasuke reached his hand into his pocket and felt Aoda wrapping himself around his arm. He waited until there was no more movement and then pulled out and placed that same arm against the doorway to the car. Naruto leaned against the wall on the other side while Kakashi pretended to be giving them a lecture on one thing or another. As soon as Sasuke felt the tip of the snake’s tail leave his arm he used that hand to ruffle his hair and waited. 

_“Look at all these cute, little angel-bloods, I want to scare ... this one!”_

Both of his gloved hands covered Naruto’s mouth to stop himself from bursting into laughter when the first unmanly shriek filled the car followed by the girl screaming at a high decibel about snakes on the train. When Sasuke peeked into the car, Aoda was moving with impossible speed form table to table until he seemed to disappear. The raven noticed Naruto stiffen for a moment before calming himself and nodded at Kakashi’s voice instructing him on who knows what.

Sasuke was suddenly propelled into one of the seats that lined the side of the train. He noticed two of the boys had shoved their way through the commotion in the dining car to try to chase the snake. They were from Sanctified teams that had boarded the train and their eyes were darting everywhere around the car that provided exit.

As Sasuke pushed himself up from the seat one of the boys eyed him, “Hey, piece of shit, have you seen a snake come out of here?”

“A snake?” Sasuke questioned as he placed his hands in his hoodie pocket. “No, sir,” and Sasuke wasn’t lying, he hadn’t seen Aoda leave.

The other boy turned to Naruto, “Do you see it?”

“I didn’t see it, no,” Naruto answered.

“What are you fucktards good for?!” he exclaimed in annoyance before going back into the madness of the dining car followed by the second boy.

With a huge grin plastered on the blonde’s face, he bent down to retie his boot, Aoda peeking out his pant leg, before climbing quickly up his arm and into his hood. Sasuke shuffled over, across the portal of pandemonium, to stroke the serpent for a job well done. A content hiss was heard as Naruto stood up.

“Well, Sir Kakashi, thank you for the lecture, but shouldn’t we get our stuff?” Naruto asked.

Kakashi looked at his cell, and nodded, “We should be arriving in fifteen minutes.”

The three returned to their room with a bit of a bounce in their step, grabbing their bags and then waiting for the train to begin slowing. As they exited the train, they heard the cheers for the Sanctified teams that were immediately followed by cold stares, glares, and scowls in their general direction. Naruto and Sasuke had plenty of practice ignoring them while Kakashi gave them orders to grab the luggage and head towards an area for their ride to pick them up.

After removing their hoodies, since they were free of the train’s harsh air conditioning and now actually enjoying the tropical weather, the three stood there, surrounded by Kakashi’s trunks, waiting. The boys had no idea what to expect as they conversed with Aoda and Kakashi was slowly turning pages of one of his perverted novels while every now and then looking up to observe the cars, vans, and trucks stopping on the curb to pick up arriving passengers. Most of the vehicles looked brand new, not a spot of rust or chipped paint on them. Some were even long and extended which seemed odd to Sasuke as much as Naruto.

After several minutes, a blue truck with an extended cab pulled up to the curb in front of them. Kakashi smiled under his mask, his eyes crinkling, as he heard the driver’s door open and shut. He knew Naruto and Sasuke might be surprised by their host, but he was glad to see him.

“Yo, Iruka. It’s been a while,” Kakashi greeted the younger man.

Iruka rubbed the scar across his nose, and smiled, “Yes it has. The last time was five or six months since I saw you. You have no idea how glad I was to leave that stupid labor camp behind.”

Naruto stiffened and Sasuke stood at relaxed attention. The raven remembered him, but he knew his teammate had more history with the man. He had said the thing that had made Naruto so irritable that day, the day that led them to where they were now. They watched closely as Kakashi and Iruka continued their light conversation before they turned their attention to the luggage and the boys standing among it.

“Wow, you two have grown. My word, they’re thirteen now, right?” Iruka exclaimed as he looked them over. 

“You are correct,” Kakashi answered. “They’re both still a handful and we have some things to discuss in a more private location.”

“Of course. Let’s just get these trunks in the back and we can be on our way,” Iruka replied, walking over and opening the tailgate before beginning loading the trunks.

Sasuke and Naruto helped out of habit but realized Iruka, nor Kakashi, ordered them to, or even mentioned it. Iruka suddenly stopped what he was doing when he noticed the thing wrapped around Sasuke’s throat. 

“Is that a snake?” he questioned with narrowed eyes.

“Do you want the truthful answer?” Sasuke asked in reply.

Iruka’s eyes narrowed more, “Yes?”

“He is a Fomorian named Aoda. Naruto found him one night and he chose to stick with us.”

“What?!” Iruka quietly hissed. “You’re telling me you snuck a pure demon onto that train and no one noticed?”

“Well, technically, there were two pure demons on that train,” Naruto answered. “And no one saw him, well, not until the very end but it was hilarious,” Naruto smiled deviously. 

“Ah, still up to your pranks I see,” Iruka said with an equally devious smile, “How many did you get to scream?”

“Iruka!” Kakashi gasped bringing his hand to his chest feigning surprise. “Are you encouraging such behavior?”

Iruka chuckled, “You know I pulled a few of my own when I was young, I’ve told you stories. Plus, I am no longer their teacher, you are. Who am I to judge?”

“That’s true,” was the older man’s response. “Let’s finish this up so we can get going. Hanging around this part of the population is making me a tad paranoid,” he added as he lifted a trunk into the truck bed and then headed for the passenger side door.

Once that were all seated and buckled in, Iruka pulled away from the curb, “So, what have you thought about your adventures away from the compound so far?”

“Things are so different,” Naruto began as he looked at the pristine, clean roads, sidewalks, and buildings they passed. “When we were in demon territory the structures were different and things didn’t look so ...”

“Disgustingly perfect?” Sasuke supplied.

“I guess,” the blond agreed. “Do these people even do anything interesting? I mean, they just seem to be so high and mighty all the time.”

“Do you remember our last conversation?” Iruka asked.

“Of course I do,” Naruto answered almost silently as he nodded.

“Remember when I said I couldn’t answer your question, about whether I believed you were a plague or not?”

Naruto turned and looked at his old instructor’s face in the rearview mirror, “Yeah.”

“I was being monitored by Donzo as well as the other classroom teachers,” Iruka explained. “Most of the Empyrean population are also monitored. Now, knowing that, do you think they would do anything you deem interesting?”

“Wait, are the trains bugged then? Did they hear our conversations?” Sasuke asked with some concern.

“No,” Kakashi answered easily. “Static electricity gives those devices problems.”

Sasuke snickered, “I see, that’s why you never toned down your lightning ability or told me too.”

“Exactly.”

“Wait, what?” Naruto complained. “You guys were doing that the whole time? How didn’t I know or why didn’t you tell me?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “Because it wouldn’t have helped anything. You are water and wind, no lightning in that bloodline of yours at all. Plus, telling you would have made you want to mess with more stuff on the trains. You can never leave stuff alone.”

“You both suck.”

Iruka snickered, “Anyway, to answer your actual question, the only things that seem interesting to the higher echelon is finding ways to degrade, enslave, and torture your kind so, no, they don’t do anything too interesting.”

“That’s encouraging,” Sasuke mumbled as he stroked Aoda’s head.

Naruto only sighed as he continued to watch store fronts and street lamps pass. Within a few minutes that were within an area that looked purely residential.

Iruka’s dwelling was a rather large apartment on the forty-seventh floor of a skyscraper with bowed sides that came to a perfect point by the sixtyish floor. It gleamed in the sunset, but the boys were also told it would light up like a beautiful beacon at night. From this height they viewed the huge city with palm trees and bright flowers woven among the endless sea of roads and buildings with awe. It was something they never thought they would see. 

Both boys startled when there was a knock on the door. Iruka answered it, retrieving bags of food after paying the man in a weird red and blue uniform. Kakashi followed him to the kitchen space among the open floorplan while the two youths turned back to the window. The scent of food wafted over to them and Aoda even mentioned that it may be time to eat but they were transfixed on the setting sun and how it played of the metal and glass structures.

“How many of them do you think there are?” Naruto asked quietly.

“Too fuckin’ many,” Sasuke murmured in response.

They ate with casual conversation being filled with their adventures on the trains, at the Naras’, and what they learned from Kurenai. Iruka was also interested with what weapons they learned to use and techniques they were well versed in. When conversation turned to what he had been doing since they left the labor camp, Iruka was happy to inform they he had left that place to teach in a small academy here within Nysa. 

“I teach Mephistophelian and impure bloods at the academy. It is considered a charity so the government pays me well to make themselves look good. Basically, wealthy families send servants born within their estates and poorer families send the children to the school so they can receive some education,” the pony-tail clad man informed them. “I also keep my eye out for abuse and other things trying to help who I can.”

“So, you aren’t as bad as you seemed at the camp?’ Naruto inquired. 

“That was all part of the show, Donzo doesn’t take well to demon sympathizers. If I would have shown that side of myself I would have been fired or worse,” Iruka shrugged. 

Naruto only nodded as he went back to finishing the food in front of him while Sasuke dug out a piece of meat from his dish and offered it to Aoda who had made his way onto the back of his chair. The snake continued to listen to the dying conversation with attentive eyes and flicking tongue.

“He almost looks like he understands us,” Iruka commented.

Naruto chuckled when he heard the annoyed grumbling in his mind, “He does, and he is sort of offended you thought otherwise.”

“Is he now?” Sasuke and Naruto smiled at Iruka’s question.

“He says the meat is overcooked and too chewy. He also believes that you need to be better educated on demons if you think he would be so daft,” Sasuke explained.

“Wait, he talks to you two?”

“Well, he only talks to me because Naruto told him it was safe to, otherwise the demons usually only talk to Naruto,” Sasuke answered as the Uzumaki wiped his face with his napkin, sitting back and closing his eyes.

“Only to you, Naruto?”

Naruto nodded and opened his eyes, “Yeah, it’s because of me being possessed and all.”

Kakashi lifted his eyebrow and chuckled, “Naruto you can tell him everything if you want. Iruka is more of an ally then you probably believe.”

“Can I wait until tomorrow? Or I could just show him I guess.”

“Okay, who is this him?” Iruka voiced as he rapped his fingers on the tabletop. 

“The Fox,” Sasuke answered simply. “I mean, we did say there were two pure demons on the train with us. Aoda and The Fox.”

“The Fox?”

Naruto turned his head to look at Iruka, “You want to meet The Fox?”

“If your meaning the one inside of you, how could I possibly meet him?” Iruka asked with a hint of curiosity.

“He is one of the reasons Kakashi had Sasuke and I transferred to the compound, you were there,” Naruto stated.

“Oh, you mean when you made a mess of the chow hall.”

“Yup. He told me Sasuke and I should go ahead and do it.”

“So, The Fox, your demon, actually tempts you? Is that what you are saying?” Iruka asked, eyebrow raised.

“Is that what you call it? I mean, we had a conversation and he told me that we could take the guards down, so we did.”

“You converse with it?”

“Him,” Naruto corrected, “and yeah, we do it all the time.”

Without further ado, Naruto let The Fox take the floor and Iruka pushed back from the table. The amount of demon energy that erupted into the air was monumental. There was no blue-eyed child in front of him anymore, but a red-eyed, sharp-toothed, smug-grinned demon with his likeness. 

A clawed and gloved hand raised and gave a jerk of wave before a gravelly, echoing voice came from Naruto’s mouth, “Hello, angel-blood. And what if I do tempt him, better then all these idiots holding him back.”

“Holy shit,” Iruka whispered.


	19. Distroted Realities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the games begin!

Iruka sat across from the overseer, the one who had a lot more information than he’d ever let on, while the Forsaken that came with him slept in the guest room. He had listened to Kakashi quietly explain his ideas, his plan for the two boys for over an hour. Iruka knew there was still more to it. He had seen demons, they were the things that his parents were always sent out to kill, if you could truly kill them.

Aoda was what he remembered, dark energy clothed in an unassuming disguise. He did admit he was surprised to know that demons were that intelligent. That was new information. The thing inside Naruto though, that was different, very different. The way it, no he, spoke, made it clear he was nothing like a lowly thing that crawled along the forest floor waiting to shred someone to pieces in a surprise attack. He, The Fox, would never hide without a true reason and whatever reason he had, it had nothing to do with weakness.

Iruka remembered being a child and being told how weak they were, the demons. How they were selfish and manipulative and hid because they couldn’t handle the goodness of angel blood. They put on a strong and invincible front but, supposedly, they were feeble and frail and hid because they knew it. How wrong those teachers were.

Iruka had learned earlier in his life the reason why demons were the way they were, and it wasn’t from one of their kind. It had been triggered when he inquired about a grade on one of his many papers on their study. The professor hated Iruka’s argument that had mentioned how evil being evil for the sake of being evil made no logical sense. Demons were pure evil whether it was understandable or not, the educated man tried to explain. 

Demons were demons because they were selfish and greedy. They didn’t want to give this world to its rightful owners, he had violently announced. They still believed it should be shared. which was absurd, night belonging to them and day to the angels. Angels deserved everything, demons deserved to oblivion. Those blood-sucking creatures were just throwing an endless tantrum like infants, he had accused.

From that impromptu lecture, Iruka had come to a completely different understanding. The night had been stolen from them like a country invading another. The demons didn’t want the entire world, they only wanted their half of a twenty-four-hour period and now, not only angels refused to give it back to them, but so did their half-blooded offspring. These creatures weren’t fighting for the world or for death and destruction like so many thought. They were fighting for their right to live as was intended. They wanted what was rightfully theirs back. 

Iruka had easily come to terms with this, it had made things slot together perfectly. His parents had died in a demon attack when he was young he had been told. Later he had found out they had been participating in a cleansing at the time, one that was far from successful. They had attacked first, and the Forsaken clan had killed them to save their own lives. He couldn’t judge those other families for that. If it had been the other way around, he would have done the same.

Iruka planned to right his parents’ wrongs. He would help Kakashi, Yamato, and these children. He knew there were a few others on their side, but they were going to change things even if it took decades. The instructor also understood he would be the last to learn everything, whenever Kakashi decided it was the right time. He was the one in the most vulnerable position, right at the epicenter of Empyrean influence and it only made sense.

“Kakashi, are you sure they are up for what you have planned? They are only teenagers. They aren’t seasoned warriors like you,” Iruka asked with concern.

“You doubted me in that cell way back then, too,” Kakashi reminded him, “and look how well they are doing.”

“Sure, they seem to be doing exceptionally well but the worst abuse hasn’t even started. If that breeding regulation passes ...” Iruka alluded.

“I know, trust me, I know. We will deal with that when it happens. They are killing too many off and the demand for trained slaves is too high. It will pass, and, sadly, Naruto and Sasuke will be the ones dealing with the immediate consequences. Tenzo and I will help them through it the best we can.”

“You know, I am always available.”

“Yes, I know that. Speaking of you being available, we have a mission to make those two as presentable as possible tomorrow,” Kakashi smirked as he leaned on his palm.

“I have a feeling we aren’t talking about them looking how most want them presented. You want them to be the demons they are?” Iruka said as he tilted his head to side.

“You know me too well.”

***

The Uzumaki wrinkled his nose up in disgusted confusion, “Mighty Youthful Salon? That sounds really -“

“I am not going in there,” the Uchiha interrupted with a scowl. “I will come out looking tacky.”

Iruka chuckled as the boys continued to make disgusted faces as they took in the assignment Kakashi had given them while he ran a couple of errands. The brunette man admitted the establishment was rather flashy for these two but the individual who ran it was one never to back down from a challenge. He would be especially enthusiastic when he found out that Kakashi was involved. 

“Come on you two, Kakashi’s orders and I know you can’t turn those down.”

Naruto’s grumbles were mixed with growls and Sasuke’s glower could curdle an entire herd of cattle. They reluctantly followed behind Iruka, one wanting to burn the teacher’s pony tail off, the other dreaming of propelling him into the huge glass window of the store front. A bell chimed as they entered the salon and then they were suddenly greeted by something that looked humanoid in the most hideous idea of an outfit they had ever seen.

“More youthful costumers! Ah, Iruka! Are you here for the power of youth!?” greeted the man in a evergreen jumpsuit with a ridiculous bowl cut.

Iruka chuckled at the terrified faces of the two now standing beside him, “No Gai. I am not in need of any youth right now, but Kakashi wanted these two to be ‘updated’, or so he called it.”

“Kakashi! Where is my lifetime rival!? I am still a well-oiled machine to take on any challenge against him!” the man bellowed.

“This man has to be delusional,” Sasuke whispered.

“He can’t be real. Is this some stupid illusion you made up?” Naruto quietly replied back.

Just then, Iruka’s phone rang with a series of chimes and he quickly answered.

“Yes, Kakashi, we’re here,” is how the instructor answered his cell. “They just met him, and their faces are priceless. Why don’t you tell him that, you know it will give him more of a drive to get it done perfectly. Ok, I am handing the phone over to him.”

Iruka offered the device to odd man with a huge grin, “Kakashi has a challenge for you.”

Gai, the weirdo that he was, took the phone with a flourish, “What do you dare challenge me with, eternal rival! HA! That is nothing. I don’t care if it could ruin my reputation for it will remain youthful nonetheless. Oh, you will be impressed when you stop by and then I will challenge you to cut your own hair blindfolded! I do accept the stakes! Farewell, my dare rival!” he said before ending the call with a glare at the screen.

As Iruka retrieved his phone, Gai was already mumbling about Kakashi and him being too cool for his own good. Iruka chuckled to himself. They had an odd friendship, but it seemed to work for them.

“Sir Iruka,” Naruto began, “he’s not going to be the one cutting our hair, is he?”

“Well, I am not sure,” he stated. “Gai may assign another one of his employees to do so but he is the one in charge of whatever Kakashi said for him to do.”

“I am going to end up looking like some Sanctified school boy, aren’t I?” Naruto cringed.

“Like that is even possible,” Sasuke taunted. “If he touches me, I am electrocuting him.”

Soon both Sasuke and Naruto were sitting in the fanciest barber chairs they had ever witnessed with black tarp snapped around their necks. Iruka was standing behind them, his reflection perfectly clear in the large mirror of the modern hairstyling area, smirking. Sasuke had grumbled when the green-clad man had literally dragged them to the chairs, and Naruto had squawked when he had almost snapped the stupid tarp too tight.

Gai had assigned a girl named Tenten to take care of them. Her chestnut hair was up in two buns atop her head and the way she handled a pair of scissors was something Naruto would do with a butterfly knife. She looked way too comfortable around pointy objects and the evil grin that flashed across her face when Gai whispered her instructions in her ear was a bit unnerving.

“So, you two are entering The Tournaments?” She questioned.

Both boys nodded.

“Well, I am not one for prissy haircuts. I tend to swing more to the edgy side of things,” the girl explained. “You should be glad you didn’t get Lee,” she shuddered, “but he’s not working today so you’re in luck. I was told to show off your most noteworthy, youthful features. I am thinking a mohawk for the blond to highlight the scars on his cheeks and bars in his ears and maybe an interesting undercut for Mr. Emo over there.”

“What’s a mohawk?” the Uzumaki asked.

“Emo?” the Uchiha complained.

“Just don’t move too much or I might cut you with my new scissors,” she advised with narrowed eyes. “Are those ideas okay with you, Sir Iruka?”

“Well, I am fine with it but the one you need to impress, for Gai’s sake, is Kakashi,” Iruka answered.

“You think I don’t enjoy watching my boss deal with the aftereffects when he loses?” Tenten asked with a hand on her hip. “Usually they are too hilarious to pass up. I just know these two need to look kick ass,” Tenten replied as she approached Naruto with a comb and some clips.

The blond began to sink down in his chair scared about what Miss Scissor-hands might do. She huffed at him and motioned for him to sit straight which he did with a pout. He watched in the mirror with bated breath as she began to part his hair. By the end of it, all his locks going down the middle of his head were in annoying, claw-like clips and the rest just did its thing. 

Sasuke was watching with interest and smirked when he saw the buzzing machine in the girl’s hand. Naruto tried to shrink down again which caused him to get a scolding from Tenten. She was kind of scary when she wanted to be. She began running the machine over the side of his scalp and hair fell like snow to the floor. That was a lot of blond on the polished marble.

By the time the annoying buzzing stopped, the possessed was staring at himself in the mirror like she had cut off both his ears. She started removing the clips on his remaining hair and combing through it. Naruto swallowed and begged unknown forces he wasn’t going to end up bald.

“You’re not shaving all that off too, are you?” he asked as she brought out scissors.

“Scissors aren’t for shaving and, if I did, it wouldn’t be a mohawk,” was her answer as she began carefully trimming the ends of his remaining locks.

Naruto was relieved when her scissors were back in her pocket and her latex-gloved fingers were working there way through the hair she had left on his head. She was smiling like she had created a masterpiece.

“Your hair is perfect for this, it naturally spikes up all over the place. You don’t even need any product. I deem this a sweet success,” she praised her work. “What do you think?”

“My head feels cold and now I look, I don’t know. Everyone is notice me even more,” Naruto answered with a little worry in his voice.

“That’s the plan. Kakashi wanted you to be what you are, now there’s no denying it.”

Next, she turned to Sasuke with another of her devilish grins, “Undercut time, we’ll leave you bangs long. It seems to be your thing.”

Sasuke closed his eyes and just let her do what she needed to do. There was no point in fighting it. He felt the comb and clips as she parted his hair. He heard the buzz and felt the pressure as she shaved what felt like a curved “v” shape with the point landing an inch or so above his nape. The hair falling onto his neck and, sometimes, into his face tickled. He tried his best not to twitch, at least he wasn’t getting one of those mohawks.

Naruto now understood why Tenten was so proud of herself. Watching her work on someone else was pretty cool. She knew what she wanted, and she went for it. Sasuke’s black hair covered the floor but what was left on his head already looked fitting on him. It was clean but interesting and she did as she promised. She just barely trimmed his fringe and cleaned up the long hair left on top, shortening what was in the back. The hair above his nape back started to spike out like it used to when Naruto and Sasuke first met so long ago.

Sasuke sighed was he heard Naruto compliment her work. Of course, the idiot would think this haircut looked nice, he chose to wear orange after all. The raven was a little worried to open his eyes as he felt Tenten brushing off the loose hair on his neck. He probably looked ridiculous. He let out another small sigh as he peeked through one dark orb and smirked when he was pleasantly surprised.

“Well, I look better than the blond dweeb, I guess,” the Uchiha answered when Tenten asked his thoughts.

“Bastard,” Naruto grinned. “You just can’t pull off something as crazy as this.”

Iruka was nodding his approval as Tenten spun them around, “I think these styles fit them nicely, don’t you?”

Kakashi dropped by not five minutes later and also approved, complimenting Gai and his salon. The exuberant man tried with all his might to get Kakashi to cut his own hair blindfolded, as he had challenged over the phone, but Kakashi had plenty of excuses why that could not happen right now.

Iruka drove all of them to a small restaurant in the middle of town for a late lunch. They had to eat out at one of the tables on the patio because “those things” were not allowed inside the building. It was far from inconvenient, it was a perfectly nice day. As they ate, Iruka and Kakashi informed and coached them through what would happen tomorrow. It was a day where they would be shown off, before the medical tests would be run and everything they had been training for would began.

***

They stood beside Kakashi with their weapons sheathed and strapped to their bodies. The reinforced combat gloves on their hands and other leather accessories around their necks and wrists had been part of the errands Kakashi had ran yesterday. If the Empyreans thought they were animals, might as well look the part and Naruto and Sasuke had agreed. 

Kakashi wasn’t wearing his usual casual clothing either. The combat veteran looked the part with a Tanto strapped to his back and outfit fit for combat. His strapped boots and thick vest were the same design he had worn with Obito. The patch over his scarred left eye bared his old unit’s insignia. He was far from ashamed in his pat of the rebellion. 

The Fox was growling deep in the back of Naruto’s mind and Aoda was hiding in the very bottom of Sasuke’s quiver as they waited in the darkened room. Their turn was approaching to be let loose into an area where wild possessed were ready for attack. This wasn’t a test, more of a way to impress. Kakashi would be there to observe and see if there were any last things they could change to better his trainees’ chances in The Tournaments.

The men and women in the box seats watched with discerning eyes as the next two exploded through the open doors. They looked like the demons they were but seemed ridiculously clever. The blond one immediately dropped to his knees, sliding and bending back as a possessed pounced to destroy him. The raven had jumped up at the same moment and now his sharp blade sliced the attacker in two, the blood not bothering the one below. 

A Kusarigama chain came into view as the kunai laced end whipped around to entangle itself with the legs of a foaming, mindless possessed wanting its own serving of blood before the blond had even gotten back to his feet. The Uchiha had gone after the other closing in, arrows flying to embed themselves into its eye sockets. Soon a Scythe was buried into the head of the Uzumaki’s target, with him yanking it back out easily while taking in their last few opponents. Those three were taken out effortlessly with tag-teamed elemental attacks, they were either turned to ash or electrocuted thoroughly.

Their overseer lazily pushed himself off the back wall without a care in the world as the two Mephistophelians joined him at his side. Did he truly trust them that much or was he just a good actor? They were among the youngest entered into The Tournaments, but their fighting styles were witness to years of brutal training. The pure-blooded group discussed what would be the most important things to inquire and then sent their appointed spokesman to the railing of their seating, a microphone ready.

“You are Kakashi Hatake, I presume?” he began.

“I am, Duke Hiashi Hyuga,” the gray-haired man answered easily.

“An Uzumaki and Uchiha? A very rare team to attend in this era although I did not see any advanced sight or any evidence of possession. Did you lie on their paperwork?”

“If I did, it would also mean Lord Yamato and the clerk that approved them had too. Do you believe they would have?” Kakashi asked in slight annoyance.

“Do not disrespect me! You are still Tainted, and I expect you to be thankful we even allow you that. Just answer the question,” the gray-eyed, long-haired brunette answered, a scowl twisted in his pale facial features. 

“I did not lie, sir. Sasuke had no reason to use that ability in this situation. And you did not see evidence of possession because Naruto is in control of the one inside of him.”

“Is he now? Then how do you even know he is possessed?” the smirking man questioned. “He must show signs which means he is not in as much control of the grotesque thing inside of him as you think he is.”

Kakashi’s eye narrowed, “I assure you, he is.” 

“Their files state they have been training together since they were seven, is that correct?”

“Yes. I commandeered them from a labor camp when I noticed their talents were being wasted,” Kakashi informed him, answering the unspoken question.

“A labor camp? So, they have gone through the proper obedience training I assume. Their files list many valuable traits and knowledge they have been taught and possess but you plan on keeping them for a while longer?”

“I do. I believe they will make fine guards for someone of your caliber, Sir. They are loyal to the one they are made to protect and are willing to sacrifice themselves for that person at all costs. They compliment each other perfectly,” Kakashi advocated. 

“I see. Proceed to the next stage. You will need to keep their weapons for them as they go through the proper vetting,” the duke instructed before waving them away.

***

Sasuke sat in a familiar chair in a stark white room. His wrists were strapped down, one facing palm up and the other palm down. His ankles were also anchored to the chair. He had quickly noticed the syringes, tubes, dental tools, and stethoscope sitting nearby. The antiseptic was so strong it was burning his nose and making his eyes water. He had no doubt Naruto was in the same state.

The flat, stainless steel door opened to reveal two men in white lab coats wearing white caps, face masks, and latex gloves. The one with circular glasses stalked around him until he finally stopped by the arm with the crook of his elbow exposed. Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned his head back knowing what was coming. He was sure they took more than one vial of blood but didn’t really care. 

Next there were hands in his mouth, counting his teeth and checking for anything infectious. Sasuke hated this part. It wasn’t normal to have your mouth this wide open for this long with someone staring at everything in it. This happened twice a year at the compound, but this man was being ridiculously thorough. He felt like he was about to gag. When the man finally finished, the Uchiha spat out the accumulated salvia onto the floor without remorse.

“Disgusting creatures,” he heard the man mumble before the stethoscope came into play.

Sasuke followed the man’s instructions as he breathed in and out or took deep breaths. He then cringed as the man lifted his shirt to feel and tap along his abdomen. The medic’s fingers seemed to linger, and it was disturbing. When he finally removed his hand from his torso, it was only to yank his head forward to inspect the seal. The raven ground his teeth as the man’s fingertips seemed adamant to trace every line of it. 

Sasuke was ready to snap by the time they left with everything they needed. Once the door closed and locked from their departure, the restraints around his extremities loosened and he quickly freed himself from that stupid chair. There were three softs pings before panel on the opposite wall opened. Sasuke looked at it with some suspicion but decided to go through it nonetheless. Naruto was on the other side, arms crossed and annoyed.

***

Kakashi sat and waited in the boys’ assigned room. It was insanely furnished just to boast of the city’s wealth. He had a feeling neither Naruto nor Sasuke would be impressed but they were going enjoy it anyway. The boys came almost stumbling in as two, very armed guards pushed them through the door before slamming it shut.

“THANKS FOR THE HOSPITALITY!” Naruto yelled at the closed door before freezing to take in the room. “What the hell is all of this?”

“Wasted money,” Sasuke growled. “I bet one of those shitty throw pillows are worth more than our lives to them.”

“Well, aren’t you two just bouncing balls of sunshine?” Kakashi chuckled. “I told you even the easiest parts would be trying.”

“The guy had his hands in my mouth forever! I should have bit him,” Naruto snarled. “Like, what the hell? My teeth may be a little sharper than average but it’s not like I have three hundred of them to inspect.”

“At least your guy didn’t seem to enjoy trying to feel you through his gloves. I wish I could have chopped off his fingers,” Sasuke protested. 

“Now now, why so violent?” Kakashi taunted. “Settle down. We have things to discuss, and then food and sleep.”

***

They now stood in an empty room with heavy, block walls, a cement floor, and a thick, steel door. Kakashi had made sure they had eaten a heavy breakfast since today it all really began. Not one of them knew exactly what the first two tests were going to be but the third was a free-for-all among the last three teams standing. The had their weapons, they had aura paper, and they had Aoda in his place inside the quiver. 

Having Aoda might be considered cheating but they could always argue he was a living tool. Plus, they doubted the Sanctified teams didn’t already have a ton of things on their side. They probably had the best weapons and gadgets that Sasuke and Naruto never could have dreamed existed, along with the free population cheering them on. They felt no shame in him tagging along. 

A woman finally entered the room.

“They have passed all their medical screenings. They are to immediately proceed to the next stage. Sir Hatake, you must leave them now. The Uchiha and the Uzumaki will need to wait here for farther instructions.”

With that said, Kakashi followed the woman out the steel door and Naruto and Sasuke waited. A short time passed before they heard a heavy lock and then the room went dark. Naruto’s ears buzzed wanting to hear any sound that wasn’t their own breathing. Footsteps were heard approaching the door right before an eerie, yellow glow started crawling across the walls.

“Shit, a barrier seal,” the blond hissed.

“Ok, why are they trying so heard to keep us in this room?” Sasuke asked his advanced sight on alert. “Oh fuck!” he growled between clenched teeth.

“What!? What’s going on?”

“Gas. Some sort of gas is, breathe, don’t do, sop,” Sasuke’s words became slow, slurred, and garbled together before Naruto saw his shadow slump and heard him hit the floor.

Naruto went to call to him but his body grew heavy and his eyes closed on their own accord. He felt his knees hit the floor, and then his top half followed.

***

Sasuke remembered trying to warn Naruto as he startled awake. He attempted to quickly jump to his feet, but his body barely got into a seated position. His limbs felt heavy but the hefty weight sitting on his clavicles worried him more. A weird metal looking mechanism was all that filled his vision when he looked down.

It settled across his shoulders and went behind his neck before scooping down and covering him where he felt most the weight. There were straps that fully secured it that went under his armpits and seemed to come together into one strap that went between his shoulder blades. When he finally managed to lift an arm to touch it, it shocked him. That is when he noticed the brushed nickel, chainless shackles on his wrists. Did they react to it?

As his hand fell to the ground, he jumped at the feel of soft grass against his elbows. It was tall and sparse looking. Now, as he let his gaze drift, he realized he was no where near the room from his last memory. Trees with lace-like moss hanging from their branches surrounded him and the sun was already high in the sky. They had entered that room just as the sun had started to rise.

_“Lord Sasuke, you’re awake! They left a note,”_ Aoda’s voice was heard in his mind before he noticed the blue-violet serpent slide down the tree to his right.

The snake nudged a piece of cardstock with his snout towards his Lord’s knee. Sasuke grabbed it with hands that finally felt normal. He opened it and realized these were his instructions.

_The first test is to find your teammate within the marked perimeter. The Vital Signs Monitor on your person will also track your movements. Your will know the parameters of the second test once you reunite with your teammate. May angels be with you._

Sasuke almost gagged as he read the last line. The rest of the note was straight forward enough. Finding Naruto, that would be a cakewalk. He was practically a beacon to Sasuke’s system. He could sense him easily, especially if he activated any of his demon energy.

***

Naruto was already flying through the trees, jumping from branch to branch. The Fox had sensed Aoda over on the other side of what seemed to be an island. If the snake demon was there, so was Sasuke. Naruto knew if he grew a tail and ears he’d probably be able to sniff them out making pinpointing them easier, but he couldn’t risk that until the world was bathed in the night’s darkness.

_“It would probably make it easier for Sasuke to find you too, but how do we know the other teams aren’t on the island? What if they sense you and get curious?”_ The Fox questioned, and Naruto was sure he felt the beast flex his claws.

“Copies,” Naruto replied silently. “Before I fully shift into my tailed self, I will send copies in all directions of just the first stage of the shift. It will hopefully do enough to distract them.”

Naruto rapidly came to a stop when he heard some other movement. It didn’t sound like an animal, way too clumsy for that. Then he heard the angered cursing and some violent shaking from a bush straight ahead. If it were any other time he would have gone straight for them and taken them out, but the card had said the only objective was to find Sasuke. That is what he was going to do.

The Uzumaki changed direction slightly, so he would go around them. He quieted his steps and suppressed most of his energy. Hoping the leaves and moss would hide him, Naruto went higher into the trees. He was almost past whoever it was before he heard someone laugh.

“Oh, I smell your stench! It’s weird you smell ever so slightly canine. Where are you, you little runt?” a male voice yelled through the trees.

The only way Naruto reacted was by speeding up his pace to get as far away from him and as close to Sasuke as quickly as possible. He may be focused on the objective, but maybe this guy’s mind was not. Then he realized he wasn’t just hearing bipedal footfalls. That crashing in the bushes, it had been an animal and it was with the enemy. Why didn’t he realize that before, shit!

“Akamaru, find him!”

Naruto started making his movements less predictable, his jumps became erratic. He heard the growls and barks. It was a dog. Naruto let himself laugh. He knew dogs and he had Kakashi to thank. He quickly turned around to face the thing after him and smiled ferally as soon as it was across from him. He was white and still a puppy, even better.

“I am guessing that you are Akamaru,” Naruto said through his wide grin.

“Don’t you dare talk to him!” the boy that appeared beside the small dog growled.

The boy was in a coat, very unfitting for the weather, with a fur collar. Inverted, tattooed red triangles marked his cheeks and he looked far from friendly. His narrow pupils were trained on Naruto and his extended canines glinted in the weak sunlight coming through the trees. Even with his serious expression, he seemed very confused when looking at Naruto.

“I expected you to at least have sharper teeth with a scent like that,” the kid smirked.

“They get sharper when I feel threatened,” Naruto began to taunt, “you are far from one.”

“Why I oughtta, Akamaru! Get him!”

Akamaru tried to follow the command but was suddenly confused when multiple versions of his target surrounded him. The sounds that left the pup’s throat were a cross between a growl and a whine. The dog’s owner started attacking every blond within his reach. By the time he got to the last one, he was fuming.

“Finally. I found you!” he announced. 

The blue-eyed enemy smiled at him, “Took you long enough.”

He huffed in annoyance before going in for a tackle and when his arms ended up wrapped around fading smoke he yelled his unending frustration.

Naruto smirked as he covered his retreating trail with wet mist. He zoomed towards the last ping The Fox had felt of Aoda’s energy, and then changed course slightly when he felt Sasuke’s flare. He flickered his own and The Fox’s for just a moment to let them know he was on his way. He was forever thankful Kakashi had drilled them into knowing each other’s energy signatures intimately.

***

Sasuke smiled when he knew Naruto was on the right track, Aoda zipping through the tall grass beside him easily. He sensed there were at least two others in his area but ignored them. Thankfully, the terrain he had to navigate was simple. Just slight hills, maybe a downed tree here and there but nothing too hazardous. He did hear rushing water though, that had him just a little concerned. It was either rapids or a waterfall. 

He traveled that way for a few hours, stopping occasionally when another energy signature got too close and suppressing his own energy levels. After a few of those tense situations, he had taken to the trees while Aoda shadowed him below. He was starting to get impatient with his pace as the sun sagged lower and lower into the sky. He would need to make camp soon if he didn’t want to travel during   
the night.

He decided to set up camp beside the rushing water he could still hear. He carefully made his way over, Aoda scouting a bit ahead. Once everything was situated, he pulled out a few of the rations within his pack. The serpent slithered over and onto his lifted knee watching him intently. He offered some of the food he was eating but Aoda refused.

“Naruto mentioned you had other abilities, what are they?” Sasuke asked after a few minutes.

_“I am fast, have venom, and I can manipulate my size.”_

“Interesting. Venom?

_“It causes paralysis.”_

Sasuke nodded as he chewed another bite, “And your size? How much can you manipulate it?”

_“I would show you, but it would draw attention.”_

“I understand, too bad-” Sasuke cut himself off when he felt a very sudden, very large surge in demon fox energy.

“He’s going to start sniffing us out,” Sasuke smiled as he flared his energy enough to activate his sight.

He knew it was best if he stayed put for now. Naruto had probably sent out a wave of average copies before changing his form. Sasuke laughed darkly under his breath at what the ignorant, Empyrean competitors were thinking right now. A demon energy that strong within the perimeter had to have them scrambling. Then his eyes grew wide, there was a second one in the opposite direction. It pulsed as if asking for a fight, what the hell?

_“How dare he mock the Demon Lord! He will get his fight soon enough,”_ Aoda hissed angerly. _“He always barks up the wrong tree!”_

“Aoda, who is that?”

_“No one to concern yourself with now. Master Naruto is still headed our direction. Hopefully, that stupid racoon dog stays put.”_

“What? Racoon dog?”

Aoda dismissed his question with a flick of his tail when his head rose up in a threatening manner to the trees behind Sasuke. The Uchiha spun around to focus on the area and noticed the person’s aura before seeing them. His cycle was very well developed, and he wasn’t approaching in a way that seemed threatening but arrogant. Much of his energy was pooled in his eyes. As soon as he stepped into the moon light, Sasuke knew why.

“A Hyuga,” Sasuke stated as the older boy came into full view.

“An Uchiha,” the long-haired male said in answer, the veins around his pale eyes prominent. 

“Aoda, how far out is Naruto?” Sasuke asked of his companion.

A wicked smile grew across the Sanctified boy’s face and he scoffed, “Are you so stupid that you think a snake, one of the lowliest creatures on this planet, can talk?”

Aoda hissed harshly, fangs in full view, as he answered, _“Maybe thirty minutes if we take into account he might run into some trouble.”_

“You have half an hour to get out of here because as soon as my teammate arrives, I plan on destroying you,” Sasuke threatened his uninvited guest.

“You? Destroy me? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? Haven’t you sensed there are actual demons in this place? They make you look like a dog’s chew toy. What if they get to us first, one seems to be headed in this direction,” the boy taunted as he walked a step closer.

Sasuke laughed, “Oh, I know they are here, and I am hoping that one is heading in my direction. Having a possessed partner has its many advantages.”

The Hyuga’s eyes narrowed, “You know he will shred you eventually. No one can trust them, not even their fellow demon kind. I am surprised he didn’t join the ones you had to destroy during your fighting trial.”

“He is nothing like them,” Sasuke growled, “and I will make sure he never ends up imprisoned like them. Just shut up!”

“It would be interesting if you had to kill him during the next Tournaments, wouldn’t it? It would be a very cruel destiny, one I’d love to watch play out,” was hissed out between the Hyuga’s clenched teeth.

“What did I just tell you?” Sasuke asked in annoyance. “Fucking shut up!”

“You, little heathen. How dare you command me! I am surprised you can have a somewhat intelligent conversation.”

Sasuke wanted this guy gone, he was sick of him. He let one hand begin to spark while a flame erupted in the other.

“Leave now. I have heard enough of your voice and I have other things to attend to.”

“And if I don’t? You know that fighting wasn’t really part of our first task?”

The only answer that was given involved Aoda suddenly striking towards their intruder. The angel-blooded boy jumped back in surprise, and the snake continued to slowly approach him, head swaying and fangs bared. Then the creature gradually became larger, staying between Sasuke and the threat. The serpent’s growth halted when he was eye to eye with his prey, his body and tail a loose loop on the river bank around The Uchiha’s feet.

“A summoning? Contracting with snakes, how revolting,” the boy scowled before finally taking his leave.

With the threat gone, Aoda turned his attention back to his lord. Sasuke reached forward to stroke his much larger head in gratitude. The serpent leaned into it, his snout against the Uchiha’s warm chest. He was relieved he didn’t strike fear into the one whose company he enjoyed most.

Sasuke had decided to start a fire now that Aoda could surround the very small area easily. The days seemed to be blazing here, but the nights felt cool, almost cold. Sasuke was reclined back against a fallen tree, the serpent’s head in his lap when he first felt Naruto’s energy taper down as he drew closer. He had his eyes closed when he heard Naruto land in the tree across from him, and then jump down to the ground. He opened his eyes to see a very serious, cautious expression on the blonde’s face, and then those blue eyes twitched just slightly towards a tree on the other side of the river.

The Hyuga was most likely over there still observing. Aoda confirming it when he told Naruto he also noticed. Sasuke wasn’t sure why he wasn’t picking up anything and asked very quietly what exactly was going on.

“He has suppressed his energy into practically nothing, but I can smell him, and Aoda can sense his heat,” Naruto answered in a whisper as he carefully made his way over the snake’s coils and closer to the fire. 

Both became alarmed when the mechanisms across their chests came to life. One light went green for a moment at the top of both before a series of chirps. Then a feminine voice was heard.

“Congratulations, you have completed and passed the first test. The second will be explained at 1200 hours tomorrow. You are not permitted to kill another until you receive instructions to do so. May angels be with you.”

“Test one must end at noon tomorrow which means if there are teams that didn’t find each other by then, they’re out,” Sasuke thought out loud.

Naruto nodded, “That test was easy though. I mean, how many weren’t taught the best way to find their partners?”

Sasuke only shrugged and continued stroking Aoda’s eye ridge and smiled, “The Hyuga thought he was a summons.” 

Naruto quietly snickered, “How could he not feel his energy?”

“Maybe he was too distracted by yours and the racoon dog’s energy.”

Naruto let out a quiet snarl as his eye’s flashed red, “Why is he here?”

***

Naruto woke up at The Fox’s prodding. Aoda had taken watch while they slept, and the horizon was showing signs of the sun’s return. After Naruto rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he watched the snake yawn, flexing his jaw back and forth, before looking across the river again. The blond grabbed his pack and pulled out his almost empty water bottle and a bit of food before getting up for a full body stretch.

_“He left shortly after you both feel asleep. I think he already knew where his partner was, he didn’t seem to be in any sort of a rush,”_ Aoda reported. 

“Figures,” was Naruto’s reply as he made his way to the river bank to refill his bottle. 

He heard Sasuke start stirring awake as he capped it, standing to take in their surroundings. They had until midday before they knew what their next task would entail. What should they do until then, Naruto wondered. Exploring around the area could be interesting, although he had gotten a lot of information from the copies he had sent out last night. One had even noticed shadows of what looked like structures off to the east. Could there be hidden supplies there?

“Idiot, what are you doing?”

“Thinking, bastard.”

Sasuke clicked his tongue, “You trying to kill yourself?”

“Oh, shut up!” Naruto laughed as he turned around to face him. “You up for some exploring until noon? We have time to waste.”

“You seem to already have a place in mind,” Sasuke commented as he stood up.

“Yeah, I sorta do. One of my copies noticed what looked like buildings in the east. Maybe there is something of use in the area.”

Sasuke agreed to this idea. They cleaned up their camp site and Aoda resumed his smaller form to not draw attention. Naruto returned to where he last observed that copy and then began following the landmarks viewed through its eyes. Sasuke kept up easily and they carried on a casual conversation, most of the heavy information had been covered before they got some sleep.

Sasuke had asked about the racoon dog after he realized Naruto had more information. The one-tailed demon competitor for the title The Fox held, one of the nine Abaddon that existed. His name was Shukaku and he was the most unstable of the nine. He had supposedly drove any vessel he had been stuffed into to violent insanity and now he had obviously been sealed into another. 

Naruto had felt The Fox’s need to fight Shukaku as soon as his energy starting pulsing tauntingly. After the Fox had explained, he had ignored the idea knowing nothing good would come of it right now. The Vessel, whether male or female, would be blood-thirsty and not care for rules or collateral damage. They couldn’t risk that, they were here to place in the top three, not die in pointless grudge fights. 

_“I wouldn’t allow you to die. Shukaku may think he can defeat me while inside of a vessel, but he is greatly mistaken,”_ The Fox’s soft grumble entered his mind. _“Don’t worry about him, I bet he gets restrained and his container disqualified before the next test starts.”_

Naruto chuckled at The Fox’s arrogance. He knew it was earned, last night’s dreams had proved it, but it was still funny to hear him mock his fellow Abaddon.

“What’s so funny?” Sasuke asked as he kept pace beside his teammate.

Naruto smiled, “The Fox, he acts like Shukaku is an annoying baby brother.”

“He sounds like one,” Sasuke smirked. “Thinking he can defeat the bigger brother and throwing fits when it is proven otherwise.”

Naruto stopped when he reached the spot of the copy’s last memory. There, straight ahead, stood decaying construction, skeletons of high-rise buildings, and some other confusing structures. Had there been a city here? That seemed odd as the island appeared to be isolated. He looked to Sasuke who was taking everything in with focused, crimson eyes.

“I don’t see any threats from here,” he informed the blond. 

“Let’s go have a looksy then!” Naruto exclaimed. “This should be fun.”

“Did you just say ‘looksy’?”

“Yes, yes I did because I am not a bastard,” Naruto replied right before launching himself away from the branch he had occupied. “Last one there has to rub the other’s feet!”

“Oh gross! I am NOT touching your feet!” Sasuke growled as he quickly caught up.

They ended up agreeing it was a tie when they both came to rest at the bottom of a twisting, hemispherical tube that ended in a square pit that was full of stagnant, algae infested water. Sasuke grunted in disgust and Naruto just stared at it trying to figure out its purpose. The other end of the tube was high off the ground, steps leading to the top.

“Did they launch stuff down it?” the Uzumaki asked.

“Yes, that’s exactly what they did. Hey, let’s throw the fresh box of eggs into a pit of water because it makes perfect sense,” Sasuke replied.

“HEY! I wasn’t meaning eggs! You are such a jerk!”

“What purpose would come of launching ANYTHING down that?”

Naruto shrugged and then began walking towards a tall building with large, broken, glass doors stuck open. Once inside, there was what looked like a desk to his right and rotting couches under a crumbling, gaudy-looking light fixture. There were two sets of stairs curling out from the center of the larger room.

“It’s an Inn?” Sasuke voiced.

“I guess that would make sense,” Naruto commented and then walked to the desk and hopped over it.

“Anything interesting back there?” 

“Not really but there are these pamphlets,” Naruto answered grabbing one and handing it to Sasuke.

Sasuke opened it and then smiled, “No way, they’d launch themselves down that thing?”

“What?” Naruto asked opening one he grabbed for himself.

“I mean, I guess the water is a lot cleaner in the photo and it looks like it could be entertaining,” Sasuke continued as he began reading. “HOLY SHIT! Three hundred and fifty dollars for the basic room!”

“My dear, Sasuke, that is just pocket change to us angel-blooded pricks. Come on now, let us get the presidential suite for over two grand.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but snicker at Naruto’s tone of voice and invisible monocle.

“We will make those disgusting Forsakens read about our ridiculous activities in labor camps. Now, let us launch ourselves down a tube into water and frolic about,” Naruto continued as he started toward the stairs, chin held high and skipping.

“Why do you have to prove yourself dumber every day?” Sasuke got out between his laughter.

Naruto spun around and gave a mock glare, “I don’t know what you are talking about! My intelligence is proven by my shiny shoes and talent with a checkbook.”

“Stop, just stop! I didn’t even know you knew how to use words like that,” Sasuke smirked.

“Shut up! You laughed! You thought it was funny, bastard!”

“Ah, there you are, idiot.”


	20. Subtle Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this chapter so many times my head hurts. Please leave a comment if you enjoy the story.

“They passed stage one,” Iruka said with a relieved sigh as the watched the television announcement in the pub.

“I was never worried about stage one,” Kakashi stated. “Stage two is where all the rules are thrown out the window. There is a reason they allow no video or audio recording within the testing area.”

“How worried are you, Kakashi?” Iruka asked. “Don’t you dare try to pretend you aren’t concerned.”

“I am concerned, but not about injuries, those can heal. I am not worried about death either, those two are too protective of each other. I am worried about what others could learn of them. I may have told them to be careful, but if push comes to shove, they may not be able to help themselves.”

***

They now sat on the roof of the tallest building in the resort complex, the Zion Shores Resort to be exact. Naruto and Sasuke had searched many of the rooms and even broke into the presidential suite. It proved to be entertaining as well as enlightening. In one of the built-in bookcases were books that contained information not taught to them. Kakashi was more interesting than they had ever known.

While that information floated through the Forsakens’ minds, they were taking in the enamoring view. It was beach that led to the ocean, two things they had never seen in their wildest dreams. With the sun getting closer minute by the minute to its apex, the water became more translucent and crystal blue. The waves swirled as they reached the shore, the reef manipulating their course. Naruto couldn’t take his eyes off it, something about it seemed hauntingly familiar.

Sasuke watched as Naruto’s eyes, the same color as the water below, kept going in and out of focus. Something was going on in his head and he wanted to know what. The building they were perched on was near the edge of a cliff face that sunk down and met the tan sand below. Naruto seemed to have no fear in leaning over the edge as he thought.

“Something about the wind and the water, Sasuke. It’s like, I don’t even know how to explain it,” the Uzumaki suddenly voiced.

“It is probably how I feel during a thunderstorm. Their your elements in their most pure states. Mine are easy to find like that, it’s hard to pollute things like lightning and fire, but water and wind, they can be polluted by so much,” Sasuke explained.

“Maybe that’s it. It feels really good.”

“I bet it does.”

“But, there is something else. Maybe I’ll figure it out in my sleep,” Naruto murmured.

Sasuke watched for a few more moments before looking up with a hand above his eyes. Just a few more minutes, it was the reason they came up here after all. They figured if all hell broke loose once the second test’s instructions were given out, having a good view of the area would be helpful. Sasuke turned his head the other direction, his advanced sight scanning the trees and abandoned buildings below. He hoped they would have the advantage again in this next test.

The chirps sounded and then there was a small moment of soft static, “Stage two will consist of collecting tokens from teams you defeat. Each team has four tokens assigned to them. The location of your tokens will be the closest to each teams’ current whereabouts. Extreme force and death are permitted. This test ends in ninety-six hours. May angels be with you.”

“Wait, what!? How will we know the closest location of the tokens?” Naruto exclaimed. 

Sasuke was staring out into the forest, “Over there, Naruto. There is a blue beacon on one of those trees that just lit up.”

“Let’s go, damn it!”

They made their way down using the outside of the building. Kakashi had given Naruto free rein to use the first stage of his shift in the second test whenever he felt he needed to, his claws were out and scraping against the metal and stone. Sasuke, on the other hand, was taking advantage of Aoda’s resizing ability. The large snake was easily slithering down the side with Sasuke on his back. They reached the ground at nearly the same time and Naruto decided hitched a ride through in underbrush by clinging to polished scales. Aoda’s smooth body was quickly making its way to the location his master relayed. 

Naruto growled when he heard and smelled others on their tail. He jumped off and signaled Sasuke to keep going. When his teammates were out of harm’s way, he held his hands out on either side of his body and sent a tsunami of water one direction and a strong gale of wind in the other. He smiled as their enemies’ energies got sent tumbling away.

Once sure they were no longer in immediate danger, Naruto started after Sasuke and Aoda on all fours then slid to a stop. He smelled that guy and his little pup. There was someone else with him and, whoever it was, his scent made Naruto’s skin crawl. How did he miss them? They were a bit smarter than the others possibly. He saw the puppy first, it had bounded out ready to attack until it got an eyeful and froze.

“What the fuck is wrong with Akamaru?” he heard that familiar voice say before the kid pushed out from the foliage, his eyes landing on a feral looking Uzumaki. “Damn, look at those eyes.”

Naruto just lifted a lip and huffed in annoyance. The other figure then entered his sight. Naruto had no idea what he looked like covered in a huge coat with a high collar and dark lensed glasses. He did spot his short, brown hair, that’s about that was viewable in features department. Then he heard them, all of them. This guy was a bug handler, that was the reason his skin was crawling.

“Shino, look at him. It’s the guy that smelled like canines,” the tattooed boy said to the other.

“I never doubted you, Kiba. Why? Because I-“ the boy started before getting interrupted.

“Yeah, yeah, Shino. You trust me, got it.”

Naruto lifted an eyebrow as he slowly stood up on two feet, “Are you wanting to inspect my teeth now?”

“Wait, whoa ... your voice is different and weird,” the one called Kiba said as his eyes seems to dissect him. The other just shrugged.

“Yeah, it does that. I’m going, I have nothing against fellow demon-bloods,” Naruto announced.

“No, you’re not! It’s a free for all, dude. And we caught you without your partner.”

“No, you didn’t,” Sasuke said from behind a grinning Naruto. “I just had to take care of something,” he added as he held his sword out poised and ready.

“Shit, you’re partnered with the Uchiha. I smelled him at some point but was hoping he had a helpless teammate.”

“Naruto, who is this moron?” Sasuke asked as he lowered his sword to assume a more relaxed stance.

“I think his name is Kiba, he can’t figure out why I smell like a canine,” Naruto answered before running his tongue along his teeth.

Sasuke smirked, “I guess he is blind and can’t put two and two together.”

“Hey! Stop it! You’re both shitheads!” the dog boy snarled.

Shino tilted his head in partner’s direction, “Kiba, he is possessed. He smells like dog without having one. Why? Because his demon is probably a canine.”

“Whatever. If it is, what type of a canine, huh? It’s not a wolf or something like that. I would have noticed that,” Kiba began growling and then Akamaru barked. “What? What’s up?”

“You got distracted,” Shino answered. “He was getting annoyed.”

“Don’t tell me what my dog is saying!” 

“Naruto, let’s get out of here before his stupid rubs off on us,” Sasuke interjected. “We have some angel-bloods to hunt.”

Suddenly a cloud of beetles surrounded them, Shino’s hand out with more erupting from his sleeve, “You will not leave yet.”

“And why not?” Sasuke asked with a glare.

“We are interested in you two. I don’t want a fight, but my beetles have been hearing a buzz from some of the Empyrean teams about you both being problems.”

“Aw, Sasuke. They’re talking about us, how cute,” Naruto said with a smirk. “Why would that make you interested? They are probably annoyed with us as much as with our overseer. It’s just a bunch of gossip.”

“Kakashi Hatake, I heard,” Shino stated, “he was said to be a traitor to the Empyreans. Why would he train slaves for them?”

“That isn’t up for discussion right now,” Sasuke answered. “We have ninety-six hours to place within the top three during the test. We are done talking to you.”

Sasuke’s palm was suddenly ablaze and cyclone of wind blew through it causing a firestorm to rip through the fog of bugs. Shino stood shocked and Kiba coughing and sputtering as Sasuke and Naruto made their escape. Both Forsakens ran and Aoda appeared to block the others’ path. They had more pressing matters to attend to, like the weak Sanctified team not too far away.

***

Two teams had easily been taken care of and eight more tokens gained. In the process, they had helped in reversing natural selection by killing the stronger half of the team so only the weak could breed. Eat new set of tokens was sealed into a separate sheet of aura paper, if some were taken or stolen they’d still have the others.

Sasuke watched Naruto growl for a third time, and he felt it too. That second Abaddon kept getting a tad closer and there was another team that traveled with him, according to Aoda. They were trying their best to stay at a distance. That was one team, demon or not, they had no intention of meeting.

“Naruto, let’s grab a late lunch,” Sasuke advised after a few more moments. 

They were in a thicker part of the forest, well, jungle really, and could hide easily. Naruto nodded his head in agreement and jumped to grab a branch of the nearest tree, flipping himself up onto it. He offered a gloved hand to Sasuke, who grabbed it and let Naruto pull him up. Once they felt they were high and deep enough into the tree, they pulled out their rations and water bottles.

They rested in the canopy, just enjoying the peace and quiet, other than native life fliting to and fro. Aoda had come to join them, in a smaller, but not as small as before, version of himself. He was draped over a branch, his head peeking out the center dip of his coils. They must have nodded off at some point because they awoke to Aoda hissing a warning.

_“Lord and Master, a team is approaching quickly. I don’t understand why I didn’t sense their heat until now. I apologize.”_

“Aoda, don’t blame yourself. We shouldn’t have let our guard down,” Sasuke whispered back.

The Uchiha’s advanced sight was scanning the area and Naruto quickly suppressed his energy. 

“I didn’t even smell them,” Naruto quietly acknowledged. “They had to do something to hide themselves so well.”

“They’re covered in ... mud,” Sasuke said in annoyance. “It all makes sense now. It’s one of the teams from the train. The boy and girl team.”

“Did you notice any hints to their abilities?”

“Just that they aren’t the strongest I have seen but not the weakest either. The boy’s cycle isn’t as developed but the girl looks well trained.”

Naruto nodded at this information and heard them drawing closer. They would be going in blind for the most part. Sure, they had taken the other two teams out that way, but Sasuke’s eyes had seen their developmental weaknesses. 

Sasuke’s breath caught in his throat as soon as he saw Naruto drop to the jungle floor. He couldn’t be thinking of sacrificing himself again like before. No, not this time, he wouldn’t allow it. 

What that man had said at The Coliseum had been stewing in the back of Sasuke’s mind eating at him for how much truth it involved. Naruto had taken and healed from many more injuries than Sasuke ever had to, and he hadn’t helped matters. He needed to put a stop to it.

Before the Uchiha could join his comrade on the ground, the two Sanctified stood in front of Naruto with nasty smirks on their faces. Sasuke noted the female looked to be the more intelligent of the two, giving Naruto a wide birth and watching him critically. The male marched forward until he was within spitting distance.

“Where’s the other one you son of a bitch?!” the boy yelled in Naruto’s face.

Naruto exaggeratedly wiped spittle off himself and then answered, “The other one? You think we demon-bloods like being together? I wish I could tear him apart every fuckin’ day.”

“He’s here. You had to find your partner for the first challenge. Where?” the girl replied.

“Listen, angel-blooded bitch. I got two tokens, he got two, and we freakin’ ditched each other. Why do you want him here anyway? I thought you ‘divine ones’ would love to kill me without interruption?” Naruto mocked, unhooking one of his Kusarigama and beginning to spin it lazily at his side as he started to stalk a circle around them.

“You shithead, don’t you dare talk to me like you have any chance of winning. You are a revolting possessed, you deserve to die,” she fumed.

“Yeah yeah, nothing I haven’t heard before.”

Sasuke was getting anxious and agitated. Sure, now he knew the chick was easily angered and even the male was shaking with fury. This wasn’t giving him much new information. He was ready to join Naruto before things escalated when the boy suddenly raised him arms, palms in Naruto’s direction, and low vibrating, almost booming noise filled the air. Naruto instantly dropped to his knees, screaming in pain. Sasuke’s eyes zeroed in on the blood leaking from under Naruto’s hands that now covered his ears, his weapon forgotten.

Sound, that was that guy’s weapon of choice! Sasuke quickly grabbed some cotton balls out of the simple first aid kit attached to his side and stuffed them in his ears. He told Aoda to stay hidden unless called as he jumped in front of his comrade. 

Naruto immediately started swinging an arm at him, motioning him to get out of there but Sasuke was determined to protect him this time. Sasuke could see the girl smiling evilly and speaking but he couldn’t hear a thing. He didn’t care to anyway, he could easily read her lips.

She wanted to take him on, that is what she was announcing with her mouth, but when she realized his ears were blocked her face turned into an ugly scowl. Sasuke smiled and quickly turned to Naruto. He was curled in on himself holding his ears as the boy continued his assault. Sasuke snarled and slammed himself into the male.

Naruto finally felt like he could breathe when the world seemed to fall silent. He carefully opened his eyelids and raised his head, his gloved hands still over his bleeding ears. The world was a blurry, swirling mess, his mind still riling. He could barely make out that Sasuke was taking on the guy who had attacked him.

Naruto tried to stand but the vertigo was intense. His knees hit the unforgiving dirt as he caught his front half with his hands. Breathing was painful, his pulse agony as his ears tried to register them both. He could heal them, but it was a risk in front of these two.

They were certainly part of the higher castes of Empyreans and he couldn’t have them reporting what they saw if one of them happened to escape. He dug his fingertips into the soft soil in frustration. If they reported it, Kakashi would have to deal with a lot of questioning. Then there’d be an investigation, which might eventually involve closing the seal again. 

Naruto growled echoing the one vibrating in his mind. No, that wouldn’t happen. They had both just gotten a taste of that freedom. They wouldn’t, couldn’t allow it. 

The Fox started snapping his jaws in fury at the thought of them pushing him into that deep of hiding again. This boy of Kushina’s, he was to be protected and honed into the Halfling Minato and Kushina wanted him to be. He would find a way to kill himself before letting Naruto die by these disgusting, angelic hands. Then The Fox sensed it.

Sasuke felt it, Naruto’s energy surge and then plummet. He kicked the Empyrean boy back before whipping around to see those blue eyes wide in shock and pain. The girl was kneeled over him with a hand in his hair and a Kunai plunged in his back. Her wicked smile only grew as she withdrew it and stabbed him hard again, closer to the center. Naruto’s eyes scrunched shut, his teeth clenched, and his arms shook and then failed. Sasuke screamed at her to stop, he was down, he was defenseless, and then the raven started running. Before he could reach them, the guy had his arm around his throat and used his other hand to yank the cotton ball out of his left ear. 

“What’s wrong, you can’t handle seeing him die? I thought you demon bastards hating being near each other?” he chuckled, his rank, disgusting breath blowing into his nose.

“I heard that this one was hardy, but he seems like the weakest piece of shit in this game,” the girl said with light annoyance, yanking the kunai out again about to stab him a third time. 

“Don’t you dare,” Sasuke hissed, shaking with bloodlust.

His body was so tense, his muscles coiled and ready to spring. He didn’t care that his red eyes were burning hotter than they ever had before, he didn’t care that the Sanctified boy was heavy around his neck, and he certainly didn’t care that he could get himself killed. Naruto would live, and that’s all there was to it. 

The girl feigned a pout, “Aw, do you love him? Is he your little boyfriend? Should I let you give him a kiss goodbye before I send him straight to hell?”

“I said, don’t you fuckin’ dare,” he hissed. “I will send you to hell where Naruto can command the demons to tear you apart,” Sasuke threatened.

“Like he has that power. And plus, how will he do that when he is dead?”

The Fox was listening to the outside world as he looked at the collapsed and bleeding blond lying on the mindscape’s floor. He was glad it had become habit for Naruto to escape here when in extreme pain, but he wasn’t even conscious in this realm. He heard Sasuke’s anger, knew what was coming next. 

He reached out through the bars with a paw and carefully pulled his small vessel over. The wounds in his back were deep and had hit some vital areas. With cautious movements, Naruto was turned over and the Fox used the tip of a claw to gently till his head back, the boy’s lips slightly parted. 

He breathed into his limp form and let as much essence as his small body could handle enter him without too much of a physical change. A sinister smile spread across the demon’s snout. The girl may be thinking she was about to kill him, but all she would manage is opening the flood gates. The Fox was pleased, the boy’s form was already fusing so perfectly with his power.

With the girl’s statement finished, she raised the weapon and jammed it into the center of Naruto’s neck, his face smothered in the dirt and blood covering him and the ground. Her aim altered slightly by the straps of the thing connected to the Mephistophelian’s chest. The blade still sunk deep. Her eyes brightened as Sasuke gasped, his face terrified. 

Sasuke felt something warm drip down his cheeks and felt his teeth snap together so hard he might have clipped one or two. There was no way Naruto was dead. He wouldn’t die, not like this. He barely had a chance to defend himself, these backhanded assholes. 

Sasuke threw the Sanctified boy off. Within the next second, he lunched off the ground straight toward the girl now looking absolutely petrified. His right hand was around her neck before she slammed into a tree, his left hand already sparking as he planned to plunge it through her chest. The bloodied Kunai dropped from her grip and her mouth agape.

“Now tell me, little bitch, how much will your heart be worth to your father?” Sasuke sneered sensing a wonderful telltale sign coming from his comrade. “How much will your soul be worth after Naruto has his way with it?”

Before Sasuke could get an answer from the girl there was a sharp ringing in his unprotected left ear, and then in his right as she quickly reached up to remove the cotton. The view of his opponent started to shift and sway until half a dozen of her form filled his sight.

“No,” he growled, “You won’t win, I refuse to let you win.”

The Uchiha felt needles sink into his ribs but ignored them as he focused on the eyes of the girl he knew to exist. He dipped into her mind as soon as her sight focused on his swirling crimson. His reach was more than he expected. He was there, standing within her consciousness. Her exact fears, mental weaknesses, strengths, and even her dreams and nightmares on full display. He grinned to himself.

“You fear burning alive, do you?”

A choked shriek came from her throat, “What?!”

“You know we Uchiha’s are known to be amazing with flame.”

“Zaku! Help me!”

The angel-blooded boy was sure Kin would easily win this fight when she caught the Uchiha within her bells’ hold, but no, he had surprised her somehow. Zaku was set to help until he stopped dead in his tracks. The blonde’s body, it was jerking, twitching, moving like a collapsed marionette operated with tangled strings. A red-orange, bubbling, steaming energy enveloped the blonde’s figure and healed his wounds before the Sanctified’s very eyes.

“Naruto, wake up. It’s time to fuckin’ play,” Sasuke taunted when the girl realized her teammate had stopped his advance. “Now, you will burn,” was all she heard before the raven set her ablaze, her shrieks music to his ears. 

Zaku called out to Kin in vain as the thing near his feet began to raise up. The Forsaken’s eyes were rolled back, his mouth hanging lazily open with sharp teeth gleaming, and a low hum of a noise coming from deep in his throat. The boiling, flame-like haze left him as he rose to his feet in what looked to be an impossible fashion. Those invisible strings were still controlling him as his legs rolled into a standing position, and his head lulling off to the side before getting flung back to the front again. 

That low hum began growing into a shuddering growl. Zaku dared a look at the other two and only saw the burning corpse of his companion and the Uchiha, crying blood with a demonic grin on his face. The raven walked up, pulling Kin’s pin-like weapons from his torso to stand behind his monstrosity of a teammate. Red-eyed and foreboding, he whispered something that froze Zaku’s blood instantly.

“Go ahead Fox, I won’t tell anyone,” the Uchiha encouraged as he took a step closer. “He is the one who made Naruto an easy target. Those wounds were all his fault,” he almost purred into the blonde’s ear. “Naruto will need his blood anyway, you know that.”

A dark, deep, echoing chuckle left the blond boy’s lips as he eyes rolled back into position, except they were a fierce scarlet. The slits that were his pupils widening and thinning as they took in the trembling brunette before them.

“I like you more every day, Demon Eyes,” said a dark voice that sent pure alarm through Zaku’s body. “We’ll have to do this quickly. I sense others coming from the south.”

Zaku watched as the Uchiha looked up into the tree they had been hiding in, “Aoda! I need you!”

A shadowy colored snake came speedily slithering down the trunk and seemed to grow in size as it approached its master. The Forsaken boy’s face was graced with a softer smile than before and he reached out to the scaled head now as big as his own. He brought the serpent’s forehead to his face and began rubbing its chin like it was a small child in need of comfort.

“Aoda, do you mind checking the perimeter while we clean up this mess? Yes, Naruto is fine. You should know The Fox can fix him up.”

The snake, Aoda, nodded and then slithered over to the blond, his head bowed in front him before the possessed boy simply stated, “No, I am not angry with you. Naruto is my responsibility, Sasuke is yours. We have discussed this.”

Zaku was even more worried than before. They were conversing with a snake, the animal of temptation and sin, without him even having a voice. He decided now was the time to run, he had to at least try to flee. He watched as the bluish, scaled thing made its way south while the other two watched it leave. He bolted while they were distracted. 

Zaku ran, leaped into a tree, and begun a broken route to the north in the opposite direction of that serpent and hopefully away from those two. He smiled when he didn’t sense he was being followed and even allowed himself to laugh quietly in victory. The Empyrean relaxed and slowed his pace feeling safe until his breath hitched and he stopped too quickly. He slipped off the branch landing flat on his back. Zaku was now staring up from the ground at that crimson-eyed blond who didn’t even look winded, yet he had been there, suddenly, just a tree to his right.

“Tisk, tisk, thought you could escape so easily?” the abomination asked twirling his chained weapon with practiced movements. “I will not allow anyone who harms my vessel to get away without punishment. Plus, as Demon Eyes said, he will need your blood after healing from those wounds. Don’t worry, you get to become a sacrifice for a high demon. Isn’t that exciting?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Zaku hollered as he pushed himself into a seated position. “An angel cannot be sacrificed to a demon, it’s the other way around!”

The possessed’s head craned back as a booming laugh left his mouth, “Oh how ignorant you have become believing such things.” He jumped down, securing his weapon, and grabbing Zaku before he could scamper away again. A laugh still lingered on his lips, “You’ve been told and taught such ridiculous things. You know no fear of me, of us, but soon you all will be reeducated.”

Sasuke watched as The Fox had Naruto’s body sink his teeth into Zaku’s neck in one quick move. The Angel-blooded boy gurgled as he tried to push that mouth of long razors from his neck. The great demon had his vessel drink greedily. Healing any harm to his spinal column most likely took more energy than just healing flesh and muscle.

Sasuke lifted his eyes in the direction he knew Aoda to be, he had only followed Naruto after checking the girl’s charred body for tokens. She had six, he wondered if the boy had more. Aoda should be returning soon, he never left his side for long.

The Uchiha heard a fleshly thump and turned to observe the Uzumaki’s arm wiping away blood from his chin. He noticed The Fox was still in control, the blonde mohawk ridiculously wild, his ears pointed more than usual with the bars making it even more noticeable. Those animalistic eyes turned to him and his possessed friend jumped to a branch nearby staying in a low crunch.

“Naruto is still recovering in the mindscape,” he said as if reading Sasuke’s mind. “He can still feel the pain as I continue to heal him. It will take until nightfall. Do you have a problem with me staying in control?”

“No. Did you search for tokens? Should we dispose of the body?”

“I found two and no. Let’s leave it as a little calling card. I already made sure no life was left in that piece of garbage, but you are welcome to doublecheck,” The Fox answered as he examined his blood covered gloves. “I would like to wash Naruto off and change his clothes so he doesn’t come into reality covered in blood, if you don’t mind.”

“It would probably be best anyway. We need to clean off as many scents as possible to keep anyone from tracking us,” Sasuke replied as he dropped down to drive his sword through the boy’s heart just to be sure. “Is Aoda heading back yet?”

The Uzumaki nodded, “He scared away the team that I sensed earlier. Are you done kabobbing the Sanctified idiot?” the demon asked as he watched him. “How are your eyes feeling, hitting the next stage must have relieved the pain.”

Sasuke pulled out his Katana and cleaned it on the dead kid’s clothes, “They haven’t felt this normal in a while. It is definitely a relief, but I had to think Naruto was dead for them to shift through it. Hopefully the next stage finds a better way to come into being.”

“I wouldn’t put too much hope into that,” The Fox advised. “Let’s move, we’ll meet Aoda at small fresh water lagoon he passed as he headed south.”

The lagoon was well hidden, The Fox only finding it with his sensitive sense of sound. It was surrounded by tall, sharp rocks and trees growing haphazardly. A series of shallow waterfalls fed the sparkling pool and it appeared untouched by humanoid hands. Aoda was waiting, already submerged with his head seeming to rest on top of the rippling water’s surface.

The Fox literally tore off Naruto’s soiled clothing, the shirt ruthlessly removed from underneath the mechanism on his front. Sasuke stripped himself of his own and set the pile of fabric ablaze. When they were both satisfied with the pile of ashes, they retrieved the scentless soap from a seal full of toiletries in Naruto’s pack.

They scrubbed themselves of every foreign scent clinging to their skin and took the opportunity to examine each other for any lasting wounds. Naruto’s were mostly healed but Sasuke still felt heavy with guilt. The Fox inspected the Uchiha’s ribcage to be sure the needles had left no internal damage.

Once dried off and dressed in another pair of pants, boxers, and socks they had to figure out if wearing a shirt over the Vital Signs Monitor was worth it. It was warm enough to go without, but Naruto’s seal would be on full display. The Fox started digging into Naruto’s bag and found the collection of aura paper, looking through it carefully.

“I think this will work,” he mumbled activating the storage seal for a combat vest to appear.

Kakashi had them pack them in case of heavier combat, but it would serve this propose nicely. It was sleeveless, breathable, and covered the seal well without making the monitor underneath too uncomfortable. The Fox then activated the second for Sasuke to wear. They finished dressing themselves by putting on a new pair of gloves and their boots, the demon making sure his claws didn’t rip them in the process.

The decision was made to camp there for the night, Sasuke taking first watch on a rock just above Aoda who was still lying comfortably in the water. Naruto’s body was curled into a tight ball near the Uchiha, just as The Fox had left it before closing his eyes and falling back into the blonde’s mindscape. Aoda and Sasuke would converse every now and then when they heard a suspicious noise or noticed a questionable sight.

Naruto jerked himself up as soon as he felt conscious. He rubbed his eyes, feeling something soft moving up his back. He wasn’t feeling fear, so he doubted it was anything to cause concern. A yawn engulfed his face as he slowly turned to see what was invading his personal space. He was met by large, glowing, red eyes, and a furred toe.

He began to smile at the familiar face until he realized why he was seeing it. The memory of dizziness and scorching pain flooded his mind. That guy and his stupid female partner, they had surprised him. He reviewed the events in his head and then, with wide eyes, looked up at The Fox.

“Sasuke, is he okay?”

_“He was turned into a pin cushion for a moment, but he is fine. They weren’t poisoned or anything. You, on the other hand, had your spinal cord nicked just right. I have been carefully healing it while you were out. I also took the liberty of controlling your body and draining the blood from that bastard who put you in that position,”_ The Fox answered with a tilt of his head. 

“Is that the nasty taste in my mouth? Gross. The Girl?”

_“His blood was not very pure, but it helped heal you just the same. The girl is ash by now, Demon Eyes activated the next stage of his advanced sight after she stabbed you.”_

Naruto took in this information and looked beyond his body, his eyes slightly open to the physical world, “The sun has set.”

_“It set hours ago. It will soon be time for you to take second watch.”_

Naruto nodded, “Thanks for taking care of me, I appreciate it.”

The Fox closed his large eyes and laid his heavy head on his crossed paws, _“It is the least I owe you. Now get out of here, I want to take a nap.”_

Naruto blinked his eyes quickly a few times as he sat up from the hard surface he had been lying on. He took in their surroundings, it was beautiful in the moonlight. Sasuke turned to him and smirked knowingly.

“Welcome back to reality,” the raven greeted.

Naruto grinned in apology as he rubbed at the back of his neck, “Sorry about not being more careful earlier. I have never heard of people using sound like that.”

“I should be the one apologizing,” Sasuke corrected. “You think it’s your job to be the first to fight and that’s my fault.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Exactly what that guy said after that fight where you practically got gutted. I have been using you to take the biggest hits and I should have never gotten into that habit. You shouldn’t be put in more danger just because of The Fox, if anything you should even more protected.”

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment and then his eyes narrowed, “I know I won’t die when I do that. You have no extra abilities that give you the power to live through hits like that.”

“You could have died today!” Sasuke snarled. “The only thing that threw her last hit off was the strap of that stupid thing on your chest. She would have severed your spinal column. I don’t think even The Fox could heal you from internal decapitation.” 

“You and your big words. I didn’t die, okay?” Naruto answered back as he stood. “Look, I am fine. Don’t worry about it. If it makes you feel any better it was both our faults, how about that?”

Sasuke looked back over the landscape, “Fine, I’ll accept that if you agree not to automatically jump in front. We need to form a better method.”

“I’ll try but there are times it just feels like the right thing to do. By the way, The Fox said that you hit the next stage of your advantaged sight. How do your eyes feel?”

“Better, especially since they are no longer bleeding.”

“I bet that looked badass!” Naruto exclaimed.

“You would, idiot.”

Naruto chuckled, “Why don’t you get some sleep, bastard. I’ll take over for a while. I’ve rested long enough.”

***

When Sasuke awoke, Aoda was encircled around his sleeping form and Naruto didn’t seem to be nearby until he heard some cursing coming from the water below.

“What is that idiot doing?” Sasuke wondered as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

_“Getting breakfast,”_ Aoda answered as his large, triangular head came around Sasuke’s shoulder, his tongue whipping out every few seconds.

“Oh. Fish for breakfast?”

_“He’s already caught three. I think he is going for four.”_

“It will be a welcomed change from the military grade rations,” Sasuke replied as he stood up.

“FOUR!” Naruto yelled from below and Sasuke just shook his head.


	21. Pins and Needles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A large turn of events will make the boys closer than they ever have been.

Kakashi sat on Iruka’s French blue sofa in nothing but the sweatpants he had slept in and the patch over his left eye, his unmasked face watching the morning news. Most of it he had no real interest in, with all the untamed editing of facts and the ridiculous propaganda, but updates on The Tournaments were coming up. Iruka soon came to sit beside him and handed him a hot cup of tea. A plate of eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit then was set on the low coffee table.

Iruka watched the overseer’s face intently, observing the two rows of wolf-like teeth that appeared when he opened his mouth to lick his upper lip before raising the tea cup to his face. It was a funny to think that he was forced to keep those out of view in public with his tainted status, they had been ruled demonic among other things. Confusion also came to Iruka knowing the man hid them from the two he trained personally. Naruto was obviously not unfamiliar with meat-ripping incisors and Sasuke didn’t seem bothered by them when they appeared.

After setting the tea cup down, Kakashi looked at the single plate, “Are you not eating, Iruka?”

“I figured we’d share, no point in dirtying more dishes than we have to, unless you don’t like the idea,” was the slightly younger man’s reply.

Kakashi grabbed the fork Iruka had included and scooped up a heaping bite of eggs holding them over the plate with an eyebrow raised.

Iruka narrowed his eyes,” What are you doing?”

“The cook should get the first bite.”

Iruka rolled his eyes, leaned in, and opened his mouth allowing Kakashi to carefully feed him. Kakashi grinned, his canines peeking over his bottom lip, and then picked up a strawberry and offered it. After the younger man finished chewing, he plucked the strawberry from the overseer’s hand, took a bite and then offered it back. Kakashi chuckled.

“Are you not afraid of these evil teeth that will kill you without remorse?”

“I have met those teeth before and they have never left a scratch on me. Here,” Iruka offered the piece of fruit a second time.

Kakashi leaned toward him and gently took the red berry from Iruka’s fingers with the teeth that doomed him to be masked. He grinned as he chewed.

“See, no harm done,” Iruka declared. “Well, I guess there is some strawberry juice but-“

The instructor was cut short when Kakashi grabbed his wrist in one quick move and looked at his fingers closely, “Well, we will need to rectify that, now won’t we?”

Iruka licked his bottom lip when Kakashi decided to use his own mouth to remove the liquid from his fingers. He felt the man’s tongue, lips, and the very edges of those sharp teeth before Kakashi pulled away.

“Goodness Iruka, stop distracting me. I am trying to watch the news,” Kakashi reprimanded with a smirk and scooped up some eggs for himself. 

“Tease,” Iruka grumbled.

Kakashi was the only one who knew of Iruka’s ‘sinful’ idea of sexual gratification. If the council found out, he’d be banished from the city and might be even labeled tainted for being overcome by such lustful, devious desires. Kakashi, even though already tainted, was in the same boat. He used to go for both genders in the past but had committed himself to Iruka years ago. They may not see each other as often as they liked but it was enough.

Iruka felt Kakashi nudge his knee with the back of his hand and then point to the TV. He turned, with still hooded eyes, and watched as names were listed according to the teams on the screen. Naruto and Sasuke were among the list of ten still reported alive, the fifth down. Eight others were listed as deceased. Unless one knew the clans well, they did not advertise which were Empyrean or Mephistophelian. That usually only happened once the finalists were announced.

“I bet they are the reason for two of those teams no longer being with us,” Kakashi commented as he picked up some bacon.

“The angels definitely weren’t with those teams then, were they?” Iruka commented as he procured a cube of melon.

“Nope, just a couple demon-bloods with a grudge.”

Seconds later the two men heard a rhythmic buzzing sound.

“Shit, my phone,” Kakashi mumbled as he began to look for it.

Iruka turned to reach behind himself and retrieve the vibrating cell off the back of the couch, “I want a kiss for the phone.”

“Such a high, unattainable price to pay,” Kakashi said with mocked lamentation.

The gray-haired man’s right hand gently wrapped around the nape of his secret lover and he reached for the phone with his other. As he pulled him close. he smirked as Iruka’s eyes closed. The kiss was soft, warm, and promised more. Kakashi pulled back so he could answer before the person hung up. 

“Kakashi Hatake,” he greeted the caller, his lips only inches away from the instructor’s. “Yes, Jiraiya, I am watching it right now. . . I am sure Yamato has seen it. . . I will call him later during the lunch hour. . . Goodbye, Jiraiya. I am sure there are some ladies somewhere that need your attention.”

As soon as Kakashi pressed “end call” Iruka pounced on him. He wasn’t going to let it stop at a measly kiss when Kakashi was shirtless and he could easily make himself the same. The overseer didn’t object and helped the other man strip.

***

He was getting closer and Naruto didn’t like it. That stupid, sore loser of an Abaddon would not give up the chase. The Fox knew why he was so adamant in finding him and had informed Naruto. 

Shukaku thought he was meant to be the strongest. This goal of his had made the one-tailed demon the most bloodthirsty of the nine, convinced that the more blood he shed and drank would lead to greater power.

Sasuke was aware of Naruto’s growing agitation and worry. He had sensed that thing with the dwindling the distance between them. The racoon-dog seemed to be taking out teams on his way which worked in their favor. Not only was that hobby destroying enemies, it was slowing him down. 

The other five people staying near him felt as though they were just there for the ride. Their energy never flared or drained. They didn’t seem to be doing any fighting whatsoever. It was disconcerting that Sasuke could sense them that acutely, he wasn’t even a sensory type. They were far too close for comfort.

Sasuke abruptly stopped and grabbed Naruto’s arm to force him to do the same. He saw it, that flicker of conceited, egotistical energy. He was up ahead, and his partner was someone familiar as well. Sasuke’s scanning eyes quickly began to glare at a spot a couple hundred or so yards away. The trees may have been blocking most of it, but their splotches of energy glowed between the trunks of trees like beacons. 

Naruto was watching his teammate but turned his head when he noticed the Uchiha’s eyes become focused on one area. He couldn’t see anything, but he thought he heard something. Maybe if he could just get a good sniff of the threat, he could be helpful.

“No, don’t. The Hyuga is there. He will see it even better than I can. Their ability to read energies is legendary,” Sasuke warned when he felt the slight ripple to the blonde’s cycle.

“His teammate?” Naruto inquired.

Sasuke smirked, “I’ll give you a hint, we know she is really good with scissors.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

***

Neji Hyuga watched the two Mephistophelian opponents approaching them closely. He had been keeping tabs on these subjects hoping he would know for certain if what his divine eyes had observed that night was true. The Uchiha he knew to be powerful for his age, but that possessed thing, he had had a tail. He was sure of that, and animal-like ears.

At the moment, both appeared rather normal considering what they were. The possessed one was a blond, blue-eyed buffoon although Neji had observed him taking down a couple teams with ease. He was annoyed he missed the more gruesome fight, Tenten and himself had only been able to study the aftermath. The evidence left behind had been a corpse of ash and a body with its throat torn out and blood drained.

Tenten came to stand beside him. Her job as a hair stylist had gotten them a lot of information on the other teams, but not this one. Other than their clan names and overseer, most of their abilities seemed like well-guarded secrets. She had gotten the impression that these two would be easy pickings with their nervousness in her barber chair. She had been wrong.

After seeing those two bodies, what was left of them, Tenten was somewhat terrified. She had no clue what she was dealing with. She was a master of summoning and handling weapons, but she didn’t have the knack for elemental attacks. She knew she was hardy, well-trained, and quite creative during battle, but her caretakers never allowed her to spar with possessed or other Forsaken. It was all new territory. 

“Should we approach them? I know you see them, you have barely moved for the last five minutes,” Tenten whispered.

“Neither have they. Those red-eyes are almost on par with mine. It’s improper for demon blood to carry such angel-like abilities. It is downright nauseating,” Neji grumbled, grimacing like they were made of vomit.

“Well, I see you’re in an amazing mood as always. What are we doing, Neji? What do your precious eyes see that could be helpful?”

Neij’s hands became fists, “That stupid Uchiha is keeping the possessed thing calm. My uncle didn’t give me specific instructions to observe them for me to see none of the rare abilities listed in their files. I need to make them loose focus.”

“If we get close enough, a lovely whirlwind of knives should do the trick.”

“Maybe, although, the blond has wind abilities and the demonic charge to his cycle is ... unsettling. It’s not wild and erratic. It’s more like two people singing at the same time in harmony, the low hum to a soft tenor.”

“That sounds far from unsettling. It would probably put me to sleep,’ Tenten responded not understanding.

“That’s the problem! Every possessed I have ever encountered, whether consumed or not, their cycles looked like a war zone. Demonic energy going against their own, pushing their very life force to submit. This is something very unusual, against the laws of nature.”

“Like your eyes?” Tenten mused.

“What did you just say?” Neji growled with annoyance.

“NOTHING, nothing,” Tenten quickly corrected. “I just think it’s funny that you find that weird when you are using x-ray vision to see it.”

“I am not some cheap superhero in those comic books from a century ago.”

“I don’t think those are from THAT long ago, but okay.”

***

“The Hyuga looks annoyed with Tenten’s unconcerned attitude,” Sasuke was saying as Naruto felt all his weapons to make sure everything was ready.

“We need to hurry this up, he’s getting closer. We don’t need Shukaku to join the party,” Naruto snarled. “Is there any opening anywhere or not, Sasuke?”

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, “The Hyuga are one of, if not, the best at hand to hand combat. He can shut down your cycle with just the right set of hits. Are you ready for that?”

“I am ready not to get my ass handed to me, that is what I am ready for.” 

“Ok, we are not allowed to take them out because of the political shit it will cause, that is for later in the game. But we can be a little underhanded or should I say, under foot?”

A grin spread across the blonde’s face, “Got ya, Bastard.”

Sasuke watched as the Hyuga’s pearl white eyes took in the amount of Narutos suddenly appearing within the area. Two were near Sasuke, ready for their upcoming orders. Sasuke never understood how they all coordinated so well with each other, but with a slight shift of his teammate’s eyes his living shadows began their assault.

Tenten immediately brought a staff and pouch full of knives into existence. The Uchiha watched her carefully as she spun and dodged, taking out half a dozen enemies as she moved forward. She was impressive but all her moves depended on her weapons. That was useful information.

He then watched the Hyuga, the Sanctified boy allowed a heap of the clones to surround him before he did some crazy, spinning maneuver that caused a vortex of energy to blast the ones surrounding him into oblivion. Sasuke smiled. It was a notable technique but used a large, concentrated amount of energy blasted from the older boy’s pores. If he did that too many times, he was toast. 

“Weaknesses, weaknesses, I see them everywhere. As soon as he’s finished doing that impressive ballet move again, you two do as instructed,” Sasuke murmured to the copies on either side of him. 

He could feel Naruto already in place. Their plan may not take out the Sanctified jerk but it would throw him off his game. The raven went after Tenten then, the copies left moving out of his way like the ocean tide. Tenten’s eyes grew wide when she almost came nose to blade with Sasuke’s Katana. 

“I like my weapons too,” Sasuke grinned and started a deadly dance with the brunette.

Neji watched as the Uchiha went after his teammate. He was as skilled as any Uchiha he had read about and the only other one he had seen. He had to pull his eyes away from Tenten’s fight to take on another horde of the possessed, blond idiot’s clones. He was impressed the thing had made so many but they were easily dealt with. As he stopped his spinning from the last energy vortex, only two blondes stood in front of him.

“One of you must be the original. Do I have to play Eenie Meenie to figure out which or will you give up?” the Hyuga taunted.

“Give up?” the first questioned.

“I don’t think so,” the second continued as he crunched into a fighting stance, a spinning glowing orb forming in his palm.

“I never give up,” they echoed in unison.

As soon as they went flying towards him, Neji heard Tenten scream as she was thrown his direction. His eyes saw it all, all three of them were going to hit him if he didn’t do something. He couldn’t create the vortex again and risk hitting Tenten, but he wouldn’t runaway from the other two freaks either. He tallied his choices but felt the ground shift before a fist slammed into his chin sending him flying a few feet into the air. His teeth slammed together so hard his head was ringing and then his back met the ground with the harsh force of gravity.

“Ouch, Naruto. I thought you were just going to grab his foot and pull him into the ground but that was better,” Neji heard the Uchiha chuckle as he tried to get his eyes to focus.

“Well, I thought he deserved my best,” he then heard the cursed thing reply before his voice changed into something that had the Hyuga on edge. “Sasuke, we need to go. He’s getting too close.”

“He is. Why is he so obsessed with you?”

“You know exactly why. The two copies managed to grab some tokens off Mr. Divine. Do you get the ones off Tenten?” 

“Just a couple, I have a feeling the other ones are hidden.”

“Well, we don’t have time to search. The Fox isn’t happy, we need to move now.”

Neji and Tenten both felt a large shockwave of electricity hit their frames before the two Forsaken ran off.

***

Shukaku was furious. That stupid, ginger furball would not stay still long enough. He knew he was gaining on him but he wanted him NOW. The one-tail was going to rip off every one of that sad-excuse-for-a-canine’s nine tails so he would have nothing to show off. Stupid fox thinking he was meant to be the king. He was a joke. He was soft. He should have killed all the angels and halflings off before this shit happened.

Now all of them, the rightful rulers of the lands, were stuck inside these fleshy vessels of rot. As soon as they hit their prime, they began dying. It was the most disgusting, pointless existence. Shukaku’s current vessel was already mentally unstable and it was a beautiful thing. It did whatever he told it to, thinking he was its dead mother’s will. The idiot.

The revolting thing had so much blood on its hands it might as well bathe in it daily. And then there was the way it drank it, like it was in an arid desert dying of thirst. It digested more blood than the nutrients that its fleshly body needed. That had probably helped the racoon-dog take over its mind so well. It was almost entertaining.

But the current vessel he was chasing was far from amusing. He seemed to still have his mind because he wasn’t behaving like that old fox. He was calm, for the most part, and seemed to work well with others. The furball had never liked working together, always a fuckin’ loner, always thinking he was sovereign over everything. Shukaku hated it.

How dare he befriend a half-breed, one of the things that led to their imprisonment. How fuckin’ dare he. He, the one who was “chosen” to be their leader canoodling with that sack of shit. It was sickening. It was treachery. But, Shukaku bet, that thing didn’t even know of The Fox’s true power. The vessel probably thought of the high demon as a play thing. Such easy prey, once he caught up to it.

***

It was the hour seventy-two, that’s what the stupid hunks of metal on their chests relayed. They had only another twenty-four hours. They had found one other team to off and steal from since their encounter with Tenten and the Hyuga. It was becoming slim pickings. 

Naruto was okay with this, he was more concerned with avoiding that stupid raccoon-dog. Since they hadn’t been stopping to fight so often, he wasn’t able to catch up as easily. More distance between each other was a good thing and so was the fact that they had claimed twenty-eight tokens. 

The Fox, on the other hand, was calculating Shukaku’s next move. The crazed demon may lose it more than usual soon. With half-breed blood harder to find, he would get angry and desperate for more of the warm, red substance. When the next morning came, several hours before the round ended, he would be too enraged to fight at his best. Maybe they should try to subdue him then.

They kept moving until night fall, when Sasuke found an area that was easily defendable and offered shelter. A storm was brewing, the raven could feel it. Aoda crawled out of the quiver and agreed with his master. He also informed Sasuke that Shukaku didn’t fight when things were wet, he used sand which became too hard to maneuver when soggy. 

Sasuke thanked Aoda for the info, picking the serpent up and helping him to his shoulders. Aoda, in his smaller forms, was more easily hidden but it also made him easier to harm. That’s why they found him injured in the first place.

Sasuke had truly grown to enjoy the snake’s company. He found it nice to have his own demon to talk with and explain things when Naruto was busy conversing with The Fox. He had also gotten used to the feel of Aoda’s smooth coils along his skin while they rested. He wondered how he was going to keep him safe and around at the compound without anyone noticing.

Naruto returned quietly with a bundle of sticks and twigs for a fire. Thankfully that cliff overhang would keep them dry and allow the smoke to vent out of their shelter. Sasuke made quick work of getting a small blaze going while Naruto produced a large rabbit he had tied to his utility belt. Sharing it would make for a small dinner but it was something better than just dry rations.

As they were eating, Sasuke noticed Aoda extend his neck, his tongue flicking out in interest. His triangular head rocked from side to side until he quickly struck at a mouse creeping near their packs. The Uchiha had forgotten about providing Aoda with food and he felt a bit guilty.

_“Master, I have been hunting when the need arises, do not fret. I took care of myself before you came along quite well,”_ Sasuke was informed.

“Still, a team is supposed to look out for each other. You are part of our team now. Let me know if you ever need anything.” 

The serpent, once finished with swallowing his dinner, slithered over and curled into Sasuke’s lap. He told the young Forsakens he would keep watch. He had slept must of the time he was in the quiver.

Aoda changed form once the two half-breeds were asleep, slithering and growing so he could encircle them. The rain began falling shortly after he had gotten settled. It was a heavy downpour and would hopefully keep Shukaku at bay. He didn’t have a good feeling about tomorrow and it made him extremely anxious.

***

Sasuke woke up to Aoda’s angry hissing plus his voice echoing in his mind, _“He is awake! NO! He needs to die. He will DIE!”_

“Aoda, calm down. What’s going on?”

_“He awoke as soon as the rain stopped. I thought he was going to stay stationary but he is slowly starting to head this direction.”_

“Shit,” Sasuke murmured before he started yelling as he got things together. “Naruto! Get up! We need to leave NOW!”

Naruto jolted awake and then was immediately snarling. He pushed himself off the ground and he shifted almost immediately.

“He’s coming. Why won’t he leave us alone? He can’t fight well with wet earth. He’s insane!” Naruto was growling as he donned his pack and cleaned the makeshift campsite with a blast of water.

The three of them vacated the area as quickly as possible, Aoda slithering behind the other two hoping to cover their tracks.

***

Kakashi was walking through a large plaza with Iruka. It was around ten in the morning. In two hours his students would be finishing the second round, undeniably in the top three, and need to be retrieved an hour or so later. Kakashi hoped they didn’t have to stay in that opulent room for the two weeks before the final round. He thought better for them to stay at Iruka’s, away from all that, excluding the dinner and other formal events they had to endure for the public.

Kakashi knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Sasuke and Naruto were going to hate being paraded around like show dogs but it was a necessary evil. They were meant to be seen and observed so the public could decide who they wanted to root for. They had to be cleaned up, polished, and dressed to impress to stand there or eat among the ones that imprisoned them. If they found favor with any small group of Empyreans it would give them an advantage later.

Iruka pulled Kakashi from his thoughts with a poke to the ribs, “Angels to Kakashi, you there?”

“Yes, Iruka. Sorry, I am a bit distracted,” Kakashi replied as he turned his attention to the brunette who was rubbing the scar across his nose.

“I know that but this has something to do with your students. The place who will fit them into their tuxes and suits is just up ahead. I gave them their measurements before you all arrived. Let’s go check out the progress, shall we?” 

“Well, I am hoping all they will need is finishing touches so there better be a lot of progress,” Kakashi replied.

“Just so you know, I sort of lied and said they were for my two nephews hoping it would make them take it seriously,” Iruka blushed at his admission.

Kakashi laughed, “I can’t wait to see their reactions when they are fitting them on two Mephistophelian Tournament competitors.”

Iruka chuckled at the thought, “I can’t wait to know Naruto’s and Sasuke’s thoughts on the things they are required to wear.”

“Sasuke will scowl and glare holes into the mirror and Naruto will make a ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ face, both are quite comical,” Kakashi answered.

They entered the foyer of the manly boutique and was greeted by a well-dressed man. His pinstripe suit, silver tie, and black dress shirt were impeccable. Even his shoes were a great advertisement, shined so well you could notice food stuck in your teeth when you looked down. He welcomed Iruka immediately with a firm handshake but then hesitated when he noticed Kakashi.

“Hello, Iruka. Are you here to check on the clothing for your nephews?” he had begun and then froze for a moment before continuing. “And who has joined you?”

“Oh, this is Kakashi Hatake. He and I used to work together before I was transferred here. He is visiting the area so I thought I take him on a few of my errands,” Iruka was quick to reply.

“Oh, yes, when you worked at the compound for the Forsaken slaves. I understand now. Well, right this way.”

Kakashi was not bothered by the lack of attention he was given or that he wasn’t even offered a handshake. It was relatively normal for the Tainted. He followed Iruka with his hands in his pockets and listened to the man gabber on about this suit or that tux and how the younger man’s nephews would impress all the girls. Kakashi held back a snicker.

The man brought out six garment bags that contained two tuxes and four suits. The suits included a few different choices of ties and shirts. The tuxes, on the other hand, were just black and white although he did mention adding a colored bow tie to each to give it pop. Thankfully, all of them were on the simple side of Empyrean fashion. Kakashi doubted the boys would put up with looking like ornaments on a mantel.

As the man laid each garment out, with its accessories, Iruka would make a comment or two about what each ‘nephew’ would like. He would suggest changing certain items or compliment the things that should stay. The man took his every word into consideration and pulled items from the shelves to appease him. 

Iruka then turned to his partner, “Are the any changes you would prefer, Kakashi? You know them much better than I do.”

Narrowed eyes and a scowl met Kakashi as he looked at the tailor before reviewing the clothing Iruka had chosen. There was a smirk hidden behind his mask as he reached out and touched the material, the well-dressed man developing a slight twitch.

“I think you made good choices although they will also need new shoes that go with such fancy attire. They are used to combat boots or sneakers. And maybe some edge to the lapels or ties, I mean Naruto has a mohawk.” 

Kakashi watched as the man sputtered, “Mohawk? What are your nephews trying to look like, Iruka? Forsaken hooligans?”

Kakashi snickered audibly this time and Iruka cleared his throat.

“My nephews aren’t that by blood, they are two individuals I used to instruct years ago. They are actually competing in The Tournaments currently.” Iruka explained with a pleasant voice before it grew an edge, “I still expect your product to be to the highest standards when I bring them here tomorrow. I am paying good money for these.” 

“Understood,” the man growled and quickly turned away but not before grabbing a stock boy roughly and sending him in their direction.

***

“We have a little over an hour left right?” Naruto asked as they stopped for a breather, Aoda staying down below to keep a look out.

“I am not sure,” Sasuke answered. “These chest things may zap us if we try to take them off but they don’t really tell time except in twenty-four-hour increments.”

“Well, the sun is pretty close to being straight overhead, so that is my guess. We have close to an hour.”

“You think them calling this stage done with get that crazed thing to quit?”

Naruto looked around the large tree trunk, with a worried expression, “No. They’ll have to knock him out or something. Maybe even kill him.”

“I so glad I got partnered with The Fox instead of the raccoon-dog,” Sasuke murmured.

“The Fox says that isn’t much of a compliment,” Naruto smirked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and kept observing his surroundings. Aoda was facing in the direction of the threat, his long body tense and his tongue flicking in and out in earnest. As the Uchiha’s eyes faded to red, he looked farther away, noting the movement. They were so close but they’d been running for hours now and maybe if they took out Shukaku’s teammates, or whatever those others were to him, he’d rethink things.

Or it might make him furious. Sasuke was getting very agitated. He kept thinking through different scenarios and none of them had a for-sure victory at the end of it. Fuck. He didn’t like this at all and knew Naruto wasn’t happy about it either. They could just face him here and now. If they didn’t take him out, he would be in the finals. They would be asking for trouble, there was no way their abilities wouldn’t be noticed if they were pinned against each other in a public arena.

_“They have branched out,”_ Aoda began to warn, _“They are surrounding us!”_

Naruto looked down to Aoda and then glanced at Sasuke as he readied his bow and an arrow.

“I will take out a few of them before they reach us,” Sasuke declared. “Naruto, don’t hold anything back. We need to at least subdue him.”

“I know, Bastard. I am the one that said that in the first place,” Naruto growled as his claws sank into the tree bark and a his slid across the sharp teeth that filled his mouth. “I am heading down, cover me from up here.”

Sasuke answered with a nod before letting an arrow fly. Naruto heard the projectile hit true, a grunt and then a body falling into the brush could be heard. Sasuke released several more, almost all of them hitting their marks. And that’s when Naruto smelled him so strongly, he snarled.

Shukaku’s scent reminded Naruto of the burning corpses that haunted his memories mixed with the earthy smell of hot sand. The one that held him wasn’t much better. The boy’s sea foam eyes were rimmed with darkened skin from lack of sleep and opened wide with excitement as a sinister, wide smile graced his lips. His short, red hair grew in chaotic spikes that allowed the blond to see the odd brand above his left eye. Naruto wondered if that is what marked the vessel possessed before processing the large thing strapped to his back.

“You! I finally found you!” he cackled. “Mother will be so excited that I found the one she wants dead.”

“Did you just say ‘mother’? You do know that voice in your head is not your mother, right?” Naruto questioned as he watched the kid twitch and grab at his hair.

“You must die. I must have your blood. She says so. I will make you happy, mother!”

Naruto made a face of disgust before two others appeared in his line of sight. One was an older girl, blond hair pulled back into multiple pony tails and her face appeared as though everything revolted her. The other, a larger boy, also with some big thing attached to his back, had purple markings painted across his face and wore all black while eyeing him up and down intently.

“Gaara, you have to be joking. This little squirt holds a great demon? He looks like I should get him a happy meal from a restaurant,” the painted face supplied as he sat on the ground like he hadn’t had a worry in the world.

“Kankuro, don’t be stupid. Look at those eyes, he’s what Gaara has been looking for,” the girl answered glaring at the seated male.

Naruto heard Aoda slithering around, probably surrounding the area with his large coils. The blond didn’t feel any fear, just worry. He had members of his team to be concerned about. Sure, Sasuke had taken out two thirds of this group easily with arrows, but these last three must be experienced to avoid being hit. As if telepathic, Sasuke suddenly dropped down next to him.

“The girl uses a large fan as a weapon, it seems she has wind abilities. The redhead uses sand to defend himself, and that lazy ass over there,” Sasuke said as he smirked in the direction of Kankuro, “must play with dolls. His fingers look to have energy scars on the tips indicating energy threads have been used often.”

“They are NOT dolls! Do you want me to show you how deadly they are?!” the older male exclaimed as he pushed himself upright and pulled the thing from his back.

“Be careful, Sasuke. I think you hit a nerve,” Naruto chuckled before returning his attention back to the one they called Gaara. “So how do you want to do this. I’d rather not deal with any distractions.”

Gaara answered with an evil smirk, “Temari, Kankuro, take care of his teammate. I want him all to myself.” 

“Sasuke, take Aoda and take them down. Come back if you two finish them off early,” Naruto declared in response to the vessel in front of him.

“Naruto, are you sure?”

The Uzumaki answered with a small glance and a barely-there nod. Aoda quickly separated the two out with a quick move of his body which angered the Sasuke’s two opponents.

“A stupid snake? Really, that’s who he gave to help you?” the girl, Temari sneered. “This will be a piece of cake.”

“I agree,” Kankuro added.

Aoda’s, now, very large head came to rest above Sasuke’s own, “He wasn’t given to me, he is an equal partner. Two on two, it makes things even,” Sasuke answered as he pulled out his blade. 

Arrows were going to be useless against the wind user, so would lightning. But fire, fire could be helpful. The puppet user was a different animal. Sasuke had no experience taking on someone with those skills but Aoda may be effective.

“Aoda, you take the guy, I’ll take the girl.”

_“As you wish, Lord Sasuke.”_

Naruto was thankful to Aoda and Sasuke. They were corralling the other two away from him and the monster that stood before him. Before another thought crossed the blonde’s mind, tendrils of sand began trying to spear him. Thank Kakashi for his drills and muscle memory taking over.

Gaara watched as The Fox’s vessel twisted, jumped, flipped, and outmaneuvered his attacks. He ground his teeth in frustration and then his eyes narrowed when multiples of the blond took form. The Fox was learning new tricks, but it was no matter. He would die nonetheless.

Sand suddenly enveloped the red-head and he looked back to see why. There, between the particles of earth about to enclose around him, he noticed knives were thrown in his direction. How pointless. His mother’s protective shell would easily block a piss-poor attack. He sat within the fortification, arms crossed, and listening for orders. He needed to hear them, to feel them, to know he was truly alive.

_“Blood,”_ it said, _“you will be weak until you have his blood.”_

“Yes, Mother,” he replied.

He laughed as he felt the power come with his agreement. He knew his, now, golden eyes sported four-pointed pupils encircled by four dots and black sclera. These eyes had put the fear of hell into his enemies and they now would do the same to his current opponent.

The red-head’s shell burst outward as spikes to drill into the multiple opponents encircling him. He watched as many of them poofed out of existence and one bled from his speared shoulder. He was the original, but he didn’t look frightened, or even annoyed. He pulled the make-shift weapon from his flesh and watched it dissolve back into its particle form before collecting with the lake of sand rippling around Gaara’s feet.

The blond cocked his head to one side and announced, “You’re weird lookin’. Ya know that, right?”

“How dare you mock me, Fox!” Gaara growled in annoyance. “I will teach you to fear me right before I drain you of life.”

“Yeah yeah, that’s what every girl says before they go home crying.”

“Naruto, you’ve never been with a girl,” Sasuke called as he slammed into a tree nearby from a wind blast. “Focus, idiot, we don’t have much time.”

Sasuke heard the snarl as Naruto sent a blast of his own wind to counter whatever the raccoon-dog had just launched. He was getting worried about the girl he was fighting. She was talented and had invaded his every attack but not without effort. That stupid fan of hers.

It wasn’t made of paper or cloth. Unknown metal panels that slid in and out of each other with small movements of her fingers made the thing impossible to get through. It also gave her a powerful way to hurl her wind element with a swing of her arm. He had no idea how she wielded it, with the way it thudded on the ground, it was proven to be far from light.

He spared a glance at Aoda who seemed to be enjoying playing with the puppeteer. The boy had an impressive marionette covered in traps and weapons of all sorts. The serpent ignored the energy-stringed weapon, instead focusing all his attacks on the one who manned it. And he thought taking on a snake would be easy.

Sasuke’s attention was brought back to his current fight as his eyes noticed the whirl of a large fan to his left. He leaped into the air and hurled a comet of flame from his lips into the gust. It had its desired affect. The blaze ignited into a firestorm that produced the battle fan to glow with heat. The girl dropped the huge weapon hissing in pain.

He took his opportunity and sliced at her dominant shoulder rendering that arm useless. The girl growled at him as he swiped the thumb of her good arm through her own blood and streaked it across the fan laying in the dirt. He heard her whisper something. Sasuke gulped in a gasp, his eyes wide, as a storm of sickles appeared around him.

He tried to avoid all their spinning trajectories but failed with a few piercing his torso and scoring his arms and legs. Then his eyes blinked quickly as a giant, white-furred weasel appeared before him, with a sickle as large as itself.

“Meet Kamatari,” Temari said with a menacing smile, “he will fight the rest of this battle for me.” 

Sasuke backed away, he had nothing like that to call on and Aoda was still busy with his current opponent. Sasuke reeled, looking for way to take care of his current problem. He could ready some lighting but most summons had abilities similar to their contract holders. This meant this thing could use wind. Fire was the better option but he wasn’t sure with his injured body if he could avoid the back blast himself.

“Gamakichi, help Sasuke NOW!” the raven heard Naruto scream.

The huge toad landed with a heavy thud between the weasel and its opponent, “Long time no see, Sasuke. Man, you’ve grown.”

Naruto had felt it, a summon entering the battle field. He glanced in Sasuke’s direction and noted his teammate was covered in weeping wounds and a giant rodent thing was towering over him. As he flipped away from another one of the one-tail’s assaults he bit his thumb, slammed his hand on the tree where he managed to land, and yelled out the order. Gamakichi’s large form quickly obeyed without question.

“How weak is your teammate that he needs your help?” the furious sand-user taunted.

“Not as weak as you. You do realize you’re losing, right? Using so much energy trying to take me out with the same old attacks. You’re going to collapse before I even get a good workout,” the blond boasted.

Naruto’s eyes widened as he felt the influx of dark energy and watched as one side of his enemy began shift. The sand floating above the ground merged with the boy’s skin and his right side took on a revolting appearance, a heavy, raccoon-like tail forming behind him. His face was now half monstrous and half-human. Drool dripped down his chin as a wide, unnatural smile covered his face.

“Have you missed me, Fox?” a nails-on-a-chalkboard voice questioned before a booming laugh escaped the mouth half full of stalactites and stalagmites.

Naruto’s body convulsed as The Fox forcefully took over, “Don’t act like I have longed to see you, you sad excuse for one of us.”

“Ah, so the boy hasn’t mastered the next form has he? What a shame, it will be easy to rip you apart. I just coerced my vessel to give himself fully over to me. His mind may be mush but it makes him malleable.”

“What gave you that impression, you drooling lunatic. The boy is actually a quick learner if you know how to teach him and he still has his mind which has actually proven quite useful.”  
The incomplete form of Shukaku snarled, “You disgust me, forming a bond with one of them. It will be your downfall. You will care too much about that boy’s body to take me head on,” he cackled.

Within the mindscape, Naruto heard and observed everything. He sat on the moist floor of the room and began to meditate, giving The Fox full reign over his abilities. His was still present in this battle, the raccoon-dog just didn’t need to know. He heard The Fox rumble behind him and agreed with The Fox’s current line of thought. It would be tough, but it had to work.

Sasuke sensed the shift in both the possessed nearby and watched as Temari’s face suddenly took on an expression of pure horror. Gamakichi was easily on par with the weasel, trees falling and pits emerging as the two summons battled. Sasuke noticed both the giant animals flinch with the sudden wave of demonic energy that flowed through the area. 

“Kankuro!” she screamed, “We need to get out of here!”

“You think I hadn't noticed!?” the older boy yelled back. “This stupid snake has almost destroyed my puppet and he isn’t going to let me leave.”

“Kill it! Do something so we can get out of here!”

Sasuke eyes widened and he slammed his left palm to the forest floor with the bit of movement he could manage and shocked the girl into silence. Her summon disappeared along with her consciousness. Kill Aoda, in her dreams. An arm was tight arm Sasuke’s neck after he realized too late that he had angered the older boy.

“Did you just knock out my sister, you little brat? How would your snake appreciate you dead?” Kankuro growled into Sasuke’s ear. 

Aoda appeared in front of the pair, dropping the crushed remains of the puppeteer’s weapon, _“Lord Sasuke, what do you wish me to do? He has a knife to your neck.”_

“I’ve noticed, Aoda,” Sasuke replied while, though his peripheral, he noticed Aoda’s tail quietly and slowly sneaking behind them. 

The Fox laughed again. Oh, this body may be small but it was agile and he had no need for more of his power when Shukaku was making such a fool of himself. He had managed to wound the boy’s body but in no way that The Fox couldn’t fix. That raccoon-dog though, he was overtaxing his vessel, trying to avoid the multiple fox-manipulated blondes. Since he had not received actual permission from the boy, only by corrupting his mind, there energies were far from in sync. Then The Fox heard the two words that would crush the boy’s body beyond repair but also exhaust the other.

“I will destroy you with something everyone knows to fear, you stupid fox. The only way you’re getting out of this is if you manage to push that small vessel of yours into the next shift,” he giggled signaling out the one bleeding. “Earth obey me, a Sand Coffin is in order.”

The Fox felt the boy’s limbs become engulfed in sand as it began cover his fragile body. He heard Naruto telling him to do whatever he needed but The Fox feared, with everything they had been through even after drinking a body of blood, to put him into a full second shift. Naruto had only done it so many times and not even while harnessing all the power it could involve. It would deplete the poor boy easily in their current circumstances. If anything else came to destroy him, he’d be useless. 

“Fox, the round is almost done, it’s worth the risk. Aoda will protect Sasuke, we need to destroy him.”

The Fox closed his red eyes, the sand encasing his vessel’s form before adding pressure, and focused. He felt the power begin to build in his center and waited until it reached the highest concentration the loosened seal would allow. As soon as the earthy coffin began to seriously crush the boy, he released.

Shukaku mirth-filled eyes widened suddenly when he felt it, “NO! Not again!”

Hard sand blasted out as an angered, small and humanoid version of the fox demon he hated stood in the center, “How dare you try to do that to me a second time, you fool. I may be trapped in a halfling’s body like you, but I made better use of my situation. I am neither weak or stupid because of it.”

The Fox grinned from the fox-eared head loving the look on the face of the vessel before him. Half of it was contorted into a sneer of pure hatred while the other looked absolutely terrified. The red-headed vessel began to lose what focus he had and the sand that had merged with half of his body begun to fall away. His mouth began to stutter unknown words until something finally escaped his lips.

“But mother, you said no one could defeat us like this. You said no one,” was murmured in absolute regret and fear before he collapsed upon the scarred ground.

The Fox observed the fallen body with satisfaction until he felt Aoda’s terror. He quickly turned and squinted in the demon’s direction even as he felt Naruto’s body failing to handle much more. He eyes fell on the sight of Aoda’s tail yanking the enemy boy’s knife wielding hand away from Demon eyes as a poisoned needle lunched from the destroyed puppet’s open mouth.

The Fox was too late. Aoda was too late. The needle embedded itself into the Uchiha’s pale neck and Naruto’s screams echoed through his head. He promised Naruto they had time, they would find a way. He only knew of one but he doubted the boy would like it. Neither halfling knew any antidotes to poisons and if that dark, metallic color dripping from the needle meant anything, it meant death.

“No, don’t you dare think that, Fox! Don’t you dare. We can save him, we have to save him!” Naruto was yelling at the frozen form of The Fox behind the bars as he controlled his physical body.

The Fox examined the dark-haired boy as Aoda quickly took out the older one who was trying to get away. The great demon assumed the appearance of a demonic fox-boy wasn’t something the enemy cared to stay close to. A shriek filled the air along with the crunch of a femur. The struggling and shrieking quieted as Aoda’s venom took effect. 

The Uchiha had started to seize and Aoda was quickly at his side, shrinking to fit next to him. The serpent looked worriedly up to The Fox and back to his halfling master. 

_“Demon Lord, the poison, it will claim him soon. Heal him!”_

“I can’t without risking his health and the health of my vessel. He is not strong enough to handle my energy’s potency and Naruto doesn’t have enough of his own to control it. I knew shifting like this wouldn’t lead to anything good. Damn it all to heaven!”

_“I can do it, what I know my lord is thinking.”_

“Naruto would not want that for him, you know that,” The Fox growled.

“I want him alive,” Naruto’s voice echoed in the Fox’s mind.

Aoda waited patiently for a decision. There wasn’t much time but he trusted the Demon Lord. The outcome would change things no matter which side of the coin he chose. Aoda’s eyes focused on the boy who was starting to shake violently.

_“Demon Lord?”_

“Naruto will hate me.”

“I won’t if you save him,” the blonde’s voice promised.

“I am going to hold you to that,” The Fox rumbled. “Aoda, possess him, your body is immune to all poisons this plane can create. He will have the same immunity if you enter him. You are willing, aren’t you?”

Aoda nodded is head urgently and The Fox reached out to hold the Uchiha’s jaws open as his mouth began to foam. The snake demon wasted no more time before he turned into a heavy wisp of deep violet smoke and entered the boy’s shuddering, seizing body.

Naruto stood inside the mindscape his eyes wide and his mouth open. Aoda was entering him, Sasuke was going to be . . . Possessed!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to write this. There is a lot here if you are a detailed oriented person. Just trust me.


	22. Growing Pains

The Fox felt Naruto’s confusion and fear but not hatred. He was thankful. Those two emotions he could deal with but living in a body full of hatred while dealing with his own would not be pleasant. It would not be conducive to the harmony between energies that had been almost perfect for so long. He listened to the boy’s thoughts, sensing his growing worry. 

The Great Demon observed Aoda’s essence being accepted by the fleshy form of Naruto’s teammate, the violent seizure calming. He threw the pack, that had somehow managed to survive everything, from his back and grabbed some cloth, a clean sock, to wipe the foam from the recovering boy’s mouth. Everything seemed to be going well, although there would still be complications.

“Complications? What kind of complications? You need to explain this to me,” he heard his own vessel’s pleading voice.

The Fox growled when he noticed the tones coming from the chest plate. He had wanted just a few more minutes but he couldn’t risk it. He returned to the mindscape, knowing Naruto would soon be overcome by exhaustion.

_“Listen to me carefully kit,”_ he began as he felt Naruto’s physical body start to slump from the dark energy leaving him. _“You obviously know what Demon Eyes will now be but he will go through pain, pain you didn’t experience because you were an infant. You were a clean slate when I entered your being. Aoda will have to clear out space for himself within him. Demon Eyes has filled his being with so much, his mind with beliefs and patterns that Aoda will now have to make a place for himself in. Do you understand?”_

“Yes,” Naruto answered as his eyelids began to droop.

_“I know you’re tired, you hurt, but you must pay attention. Kakashi will need to know, but do not tell anyone else of your friend’s condition. He won’t have control over anything for a day or so. You NEED to keep close to him at all times.”_

“I understand,” Naruto murmured as he let himself lay on the damp floor of the cell. “I need to go; the message is ending. They’ll be coming for us.”

The Fox listened and heard the ridiculous farewell about angels. He watched as the boy left him. With the hope to have a better conversation with the kit gone, he laid down, crossed his forepaws, and waited. He needed to hear everything. He needed to protect them.

Reality met Naruto with a gasp of pain. His body was sore and every nerve fried but Naruto knew he needed to be at least conscious. He pushed himself up on shaky arms and waited. If the round was over, someone or something had to get them. 

The Uzumaki felt a breeze of frigid air curl up his spine and carefully turned his head. A pane of glass, no, it was ice, filled his vision. His tired eyes opened slightly wider when a masked person stepped through. They were wearing an Empyrean uniform but looked young, not much older than himself.

“You have passed within the top three. Will your partner and you be able to compete in fourteen days?” the mask asked.

“Yes,” Naruto answered weakly. 

The mask nodded and then reached forward to retrieve Sasuke. Naruto watched as the person carefully lifted him into their arms and walked into the mirror of ice. Naruto tried to pull himself into a standing position to follow, but before he could even really try, a larger individual exited the ice portal. The bear of a man plucked him up like a sack of potatoes, throwing him over his shoulder to turn around and leave once again.

The blond was freezing for only a few seconds before he was dropped onto the dusty ground beside his teammate, who had been gently lowered onto the dirt. If Naruto had had the energy to glare, the other man would have gotten a fierce one. He dragged himself closer to the Uchiha and saw Sasuke’s fingers slightly flex as he heard any items they left behind meeting the ground behind him.

While Naruto tried his best to access the raven’s physical state, he heard familiar footfalls and breathed a sigh of relief. Kakashi was here. The blond didn’t spare him a glance however, too focused on the body in front of him and keeping himself from collapsing. He heard the footsteps pick up pace as they got closer.

“Naruto! What the hell happened? Will you two be okay?”

“We need to rest, Kakashi. I need to rest,” was all Naruto managed to say before serene darkness overtook him.

***

Sasuke knew something was wrong. Well, not necessarily wrong, just not right. He felt off, too full, no, those weren’t the right words. There was something in him that hadn’t been there before. He knew he wasn’t physically awake. His body felt too light, and whatever he was walking in, if he was really walking, was dark and cool. 

He heard it then, spinning to try his best to find the source of the sound. It was a gentle movement, smooth, controlled, and strong. Like Aoda, when he slithered around their campsites in his larger forms. Sasuke stopped and listened more intently. It was headed towards him. A decision was made to stop and wait, if this wasn’t his real body, the thing couldn’t hurt him. Right?

A pair of yellow, large, slitted eyes glowed within the darkness as it approached. The Uchiha didn’t feel fear, if anything, he felt comfort. It was odd considering he was in some weird, non-physical place, with an unknown being. He watched as it advanced and his eyes knew what he was seeing so very clearly now.

“Aoda? How did you get stuck in here? Where are we?”

The serpent chuckled which caused Sasuke to flinch. He had not heard that noise within his mind, no, the vibrations of sound surprised his eardrums. The blue-violet serpent curled around him until his massive head hung above and the tongue flicked him on his crown.

“Aoda, you’re gigantic! I don’t think I have ever seen you this big.”

The snake laughed again, his mouth opening to release the sound, _“Ah, Lord Sasuke. You amuse me. Please let me explain. Do you remember what happened right before this?”_

“I felt something prick my neck ... and then pain, lots of pain.”

_“The boy’s puppet’s head released a hollow needle full of a deadly poison. It hit you,”_ the snake clarified. _“You began to seizure, foaming at the mouth and we had to find a way to save you.”_

“Poison? But we don’t have any antidotes to poison. Am I dying? I don’t feel like I’m dying. So, you saved me?” Sasuke rambled.

_“Yes, but it’s complicated.”_

“Life is complicated but I am guessing you mean something else.”

_“Lord Sasuke, to answer your earlier question, we are in your mind.”_

“In my mind?” Sasuke looked around the darkness and noticed a familiar cage then stopped. “We ARE in my mind!”

The snake nodded and Sasuke eyes turned the size of saucers, “But, the only time I have heard of anyone being in their mind with someone else is during that training with the Yamanakas and-“

Sasuke stopped himself and swallowed, his eyes darting around as he processed what he was about to say next. He looked up at the giant demon inside him and then to the ground.

“And when Naruto talks about having deep conversations with The Fox,” the raven finally finished.

Aoda moved so his triangular head could lay on the ground, his snout in front of Sasuke, _“Yes. We are currently in one of those deep conversations.”_

“Why?” was all the Uchiha managed.

_“Remember, we had no antidote.”_

“Yeah ...”

_“I am immune to any poison made within your realm.”_

“You are an antidote?”

The serpent snickered, _“I am the cure to a weakness. I possessed you and you gained immunity to the things I am immune to.”_

Sasuke let himself fall to his butt and hugged his knees.

“I am possessed by a snake demon,” he whispered to himself beginning to think it through. “Well, at least we aren’t on bad terms.”

***

Naruto felt himself coming to, his hands fisting soft sheets. He was in a bed, a nice bed in fact. It was plush and smelled clean. The weight of a light blanket covered his torso and his ears picked up the breaths of someone else. It wasn’t a hospital, it lacked the nauseating antiseptic scent. 

He continued to take in any details of his current location while his mind reeled with the last large event that had unfolded. He felt guilty, maybe even a little ashamed. Sasuke was now cursed, marked with something he never asked for. He was possessed by a demon and would be treated worse than before.

Why hadn’t Naruto created a few copies to help his teammate when he sent Gamakichi? Why hadn’t he been there for Sasuke? The Fox may have had control of his body, but he was still able to offer suggestions and keep the demon aware of other things. 

What if Sasuke ended up getting whipped in a public square? What if this made everything twice as hard on Yamato and Kakashi? Would Kakashi abandon them then? Would they be sent back to burning corpses and daily whippings? What if Sasuke hated him?

Aoda, he had also failed Aoda after saving him. The serpent demon was no longer free to slither wherever he wanted. He no longer would see or feel the world with his own senses. Aoda had been forced to offer himself as the only way to save Sasuke. He wasn’t dead, he was imprisoned. Maybe he could leave Sasuke’s body eventually, but who knew what effect it would have on the Uchiha.

Naruto felt The Fox trying to invade his thoughts but he wouldn’t permit it. He deserved this spiraling doom. He should have done more, been better. His Parents died because of him, and now Sasuke had almost met his end. Then he had promised to free The Fox from his prison but had forced Aoda into one. He was a disgusting, horrible person.

With a heavy swallow, Naruto tried to clear his mind. He had to let Kakashi know and he was scared. He had failed him in the one way that truly mattered. He hadn’t kept Sasuke safe. And what about Iruka? Would Iruka even be able to help them anymore. They were now two possessed. Iruka had already been close to crossing the line before but now ...

He carefully opened his eyes to try to stop the thoughts when he heard faint voices. Turning his head to and fro Naruto came to the realization he was in Iruka’s guest room. Sasuke took residence in the other twin bed. He gingerly sat up, groaning at the soreness in his muscles. He had felt it before, the night he had loosened the seal paled in comparison. 

“I am telling you, Kakashi, one of them is awake.”

“You are such a worrywart, they are going to sleep until tomorrow morning.”

Naruto faintly smiled. “Iruka, you should have made a bet,” he called from the room.

“HA! Told you so!” the instructor quietly exclaimed as he opened the door. “How are you feeling, Naruto?”

“Not great. Sore, really sore,” the boy answered honestly in a subdued tone. 

“That is too be expected after fighting for your survival for so long,” the man replied noticing Naruto’s unusually morose state. “Is there something bothering you?”

Naruto bit his lip, “I would like to talk Kakashi, please.”

“Oh. Let me get him in here,” Iruka responded and then put his head out the door. “Hey, you perverted jerk, my nephew wants to talk to you!”

“Nephew?” Naruto questioned.

“It’s an inside joke,” was Iruka’s unsatisfying answer.

Kakashi silently sauntered in, “Yo, what’s up? I thought you’d want to rest a little longer.”

“I have something important to tell you,” the nervous boy informed him as his small hands rung the linens harshly.

Kakashi sat on the end of the bed observing him attentively. Naruto was acting worried, maybe even scared. This looked like something he may need back up for.

“Can Iruka stay in the room? You don’t need to hide anything from him. He is very good at keeping secrets.”

Naruto swallowed, “The Fox told me to only tell you.”

“But do you trust Iruka?”

“Yes,” the blond whispered.

“Do you think The Fox will hold it against you?”

Kakashi’s trainee sat there for a few moments, his eyes staring off into space as an array of expressions flittered across his face. He suddenly brought the heels of his hands to his face, pushing them against his eyelids and sliding them outwards. It reminded the overseer of someone clearly mud from their vision.

“Sasuke and I had a fight right before stage two ended,” the Uzumaki began. 

“Okay, did something happen during it that we should be concerned about?” Kakashi questioned when Naruto hesitated.

Naruto made choked noise, “It included another like me, but he wasn’t right in the head at all. He used sand and kept calling his demon ‘Mother.’ He had two others with him, a blond girl and a guy wearing purple face paint.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Iruka commented in a calm but concerned voice.

Naruto looked at Iruka and grimaced. He knew it was better to just let them both know than telling the story twice but it felt like it was his own death march. He doubted either man would approve. His mind began remembering past beatings he received when he would explain mistakes like this, but he knew they wouldn’t do that. It was a crazy thought. Neither man had ever touched him with a whip or baton. 

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and continued, “I took on the possessed, Sasuke took on the girl, and the last guy was handled by Aoda. We were doing ok. There were problems but we found a way to deal with them. It got bad when I had to summon Gamakichi to help Sasuke and Gaara, the crazy weirdo, used an attack he called the Sand Coffin. The Fox was in control then and had to shift into the Kitsune tsuki form to escape the pressurized sand but when we escaped ...”

Kakashi watched as Naruto started breaking down, one hand was clenching the front of the night shirt they had placed him in and the other was held up in front of him almost defensively. Kakashi spared a glance at Iruka who still stood near the door but attentive to the blonde’s story. When he turned back to his young trainee, tears were threatening to escape his closed eyelids.

“We felt Aoda’s fear, he was so scared, Kakashi,” Naruto croaked out. “He had managed to pull the knife away from Sasuke’s neck but the puppet, it hadn’t been as destroyed as he thought. It released a poisoned dart. It hit Sasuke in the neck before any of us could stop it.”

Kakashi looked to Sasuke and then Naruto, “Is Sasuke still poisoned? Do find an antidote?”

Naruto shook his head feverishly, “No, he ... poisons won’t hurt him anymore. Aoda fixed him.”

“Aoda fixed him?” Iruka repeated. 

Then realizing he hadn’t seen the serpent anywhere added to his worry. Is this what had Naruto so shaken up, had their demon friend died?

Iruka quietly asked, trying to ready himself, “Naruto, where is Aoda?”

The blonde’s free hand covered his mouth and he shrank back into himself, moving into the corner of the bed against the wall. Sobs started racking his body.

“Please, we had no other choice. He started shaking and foam was coming out of his mouth. We couldn’t wait,” he was pleading with them.

“Naruto, focus.” Kakashi softly demanded trying to make sense of the boy’s reactions. “What does that have to do with Aoda not being here? How did he fix him? How did he reverse the poison?”

“Aoda is here,” the boy squeaked out between sobs. “He’s with Sasuke.”

“He’s with Sasuke?” Iruka questioned. “Naruto, I haven’t seen Aoda anywhere near Sasuke.”

Naruto clung to himself fiercely, the tears coming down in torrents as he pressed his forehead against the wall, “Aoda is with Sasuke ... in Sasuke.”

Kakashi’s eyes grew wide with shock, “Aoda is IN Sasuke?”

The blond was as small as he could go when he nodded in conformation.

“Kakashi, what does he mean ‘in Sasuke’?” Iruka questioned as he moved to reach out to Naruto. 

“Like The Fox is in him, Iruka.”

The brunette froze with his hand inches from the small boy’s trembling form, “Sasuke is now possessed?” It came out as a worried whisper.

Naruto eyes opened wide, fear filling them as his breathing escalated, “I swear, we didn’t want this. I didn’t want to curse Sasuke like this. I didn’t. Please, please don’t-“

“Kakashi! He’s starting to hyperventilate!” 

***

Sasuke had been sitting in the shadowy darkness for a while. He was reclined back on Aoda’s body as he waited for his real body to be available again. The serpent had explained that he would have to adjust to the demon presence within himself. It made sense. He was particular with his own body and decisions, so to have someone invading it would take some getting used to.

“Will I heal as fast as Naruto?” Sasuke asked as his umpteenth question.

_“Not as fast, but faster than your usual,”_ Aoda answered. _“The cuts the girl’s summon gave you should be closed now, but not totally gone.”_

Sasuke nodded his head in approval before changing positions to get a little more comfortable. He might as well go back to sleep if it was going to be a while, although the voices he heard outside of himself were distracting. He couldn’t exactly tell what they were saying yet, but he did know who they belonged to. He listened to their tones. 

Naruto sounded almost fearful but Kakashi’s voice wasn’t threatening. Iruka was there too. He only commented every now and then. Then he heard sobbing. Sasuke sat straight up, he was starting to grow concerned. What was wrong? What was happening?

Then he felt wisps of foreign sensations. Fear, guilt, and shame swirled through him. What was going on? Why was he feeling these things? He continued to taste these emotions when he became aware of the undercurrent coloring them. It was Naruto.

“Aoda, I need out of here. Do you feel it?”

_“Yes. The Fox is growing concerned. Naruto is blaming himself for your possession.”_

“The idiot. He was busy with his own fight! It was the only choice the three of you had to keep me alive,” Sasuke growled in frustration. “Can I wake up now? Is it a possibly?”

_“It can be, but Lord Sasuke, you will be in pain and may look slightly different for a while.”_

“Why? Wait, you are healing me, aren’t you?”

Aoda nodded.

Sasuke smirked knowing the answer to his earlier question, “I understand. I will deal with the consequences. Let me out.”

The Uchiha gasped when he felt the ground slip out from underneath him, slamming into something familiar and foreign at the same time. It was a bit confusing. He felt so heavy. Then the pain careened into him, sending siring heat through every nerve. He clenched his teeth hard and tasted copper. 

As he became more aware, he realized there was something new hidden within the roof of his mouth. He dared to run his tongue along them. They were smooth, slightly curved, and seemed to extend out a little with the movement of his jaw. 

He was reminded of Aoda when he had stuck that mouse. Sasuke had been amazed by the fangs that extended from his mouth as he sprang. It made since in a horrifying way. He was practically part snake right now, just like Naruto being part fox.

His mind quickly returned to why he was here. Only a moment or two had passed but he heard Iruka’s exclamation, Naruto was losing it. Sasuke tried to push himself up and force he eyes open. He had only managed to get up on his forearms but he eyes were fully alert. 

Naruto was huddled in a corner, like he was preparing for a beating. Kakashi and Iruka were trying to calm him but the blonde just kept apologizing saying he didn’t want this, he didn’t plan this. Sasuke latched on to the small echoes of the blonde’s emotions to get a better read on everything.

“Naruto,” he rasped, his mouth feeling foreign and causing the three other physical beings in the room to freeze. “Calm down, breath like a normal person. No one is angry or disappointed in you. Just breathe.”

Kakashi was the first of the grown men to turn while Iruka crawled across the bed to Naruto. Sasuke was awake and his eyes were a perfect replica of the serpent’s. He looked exhausted and in pain but concerned. Kakashi transferred himself over to the raven’s bed and looked at him curiously.

“How are you feeling?” the overseer asked.

Sasuke like out a hiss of a laugh, “Like I just go out of fighting for my life? You?”

“Well, you know, just trying to take in the fact that both of my trainees are now harboring demonic entities. It could be worse I suppose,” the man drawled.

“Yeah, we could be stuck with Shukaku. You should see what that demon did to his vessel,” Sasuke replied as he slowly lowered himself back to the mattress with labored movements, his eyes still on the blond.

“I am assuming that is the demon you both met and fought right before Stage Two ended?” Kakashi asked as he extended his hand to check the boy’s temperature.

Sasuke nodded and couldn’t help releasing a sound of pain when he tried to shift and his body protested. Naruto was suddenly at the side of his bed hiccupping from lingering dry sobs.

“Naruto, checking up on him won’t help anything if you’re still a mess,” Iruka advised as he stood between the beds with his arms crossed.

“The Fox told me I shouldn’t leave his side right now,” the blonde answered as he wiped away the wetness on his face. “Plus, I sort of owe him one.”

“What do you owe me because I am pretty sure that I am alive right now,” Sasuke responded as Naruto looked away.

“You’re cursed now, Sasuke. You’re worse than just a Forsaken, you are a possessed, a Ragyabpa.”

“How did you even remember that stupid word? You’re usually so clueless,” Sasuke teased trying to get Naruto to lighten up.

“It’s what I always was,” Naruto replied.

“I am going to punch you if you don’t stop mopping,” Sasuke warned. “If healing faster and being immune to poisons is a curse, I think I can handle it.”

“You know more bad than good comes with it.”

“I think not being dead sort of trumps all that.”

“You say that now.”

“I thought I was supposed to be the emo one?”

“You are, I am not emo,” Naruto growled as he finally looked at his teammate.

“Really, could have fooled me but maybe your doing it because you are jealous Ino and Sakura liked me?” Sasuke taunted.

Naruto’s eyes narrowed, “Yeah, not feeling that bad for you anymore, Bastard.”

“And here I was going to ask you to rub my feet.”

“Yup, not feeling bad at all,” Naruto said as he stood up from his kneeling position and walked to his bed. “I hope Aoda drives you insane.”

***

After Naruto had calmed down fully and Sasuke had assured them he would be fine, Kakashi and Iruka left the room so the boys could rest. They were both silent in their contemplations of this evening’s events. Things could get complicated quickly but this could also be helpful in an odd way. The boys would most likely be closer now, understanding each other in ways that no one would comprehend. 

Kakashi would need to inform Tenzo as soon as possible so he could be ready when they returned. Sasuke wouldn’t be marked until then because his new status was unknown and it was better that way. They could keep all of this to themselves until they set foot back inside the compound. He was sure Anko would enjoy marking the boys up more anyway. 

Their route back needed to be as uninterrupted as possible. Kakashi didn’t need any other situations popping up not under his control. The seal and this were two things he had not accounted for. They were uncontrollable but it was making things more interesting than he had expected. And then a thought hit him that had him groaning out loud.

“What is it, Kakashi?” Iruka asked in response to the man’s sound of distress. “I know this is something unexpected but I think the boys can handle it.”

“They can, I am worried about someone else,” The gray-haired man replied as he fell onto the couch.

Iruka sat down on the arm, noticing the man’s slight sneer of annoyance though his mask, “Who?”

“Do you remember Jiraiya?” Kakashi asked as his head fell back and his yes closed. “Until somewhat recently, he held Naruto’s condition above the boy like it was a plague bound to destroy him. Just imagine his reaction when he finds out what happened with Sasuke.”

“Does he have to find out? I mean, I know he will find out he is possessed but does he have to know why or how? Maybe just tell him it’s not of his concern,” Iruka advised. “He isn’t Sasuke’s official teacher or overseer, right?”

“True, but the man is nothing but persistent.”

“One of those, huh?”

“One of those,” Kakashi agreed.

Iruka watched as Kakashi pulled out one of his many adult-themed books from under the couch cushion as a distraction from the whirlwind planning probably happening within his head. He had never been on his lover’s side of teaching before. The brunette was always stationed in a classroom and only responsible for the things that happened within it. He decided to get up and make some tea knowing Kakashi would discuss more with him once he has some solid ideas.

It was going to be a late night Iruka knew. He should probably set his alarm to call the tailor about rescheduling the boys’ fittings for a day later. Sasuke and Naruto would need more time to recover. He also doubted Kakashi would want to take them out that soon without being sure of the Uchiha’s current state.

There was one positive about the academy that employed Iruka, they gave everyone almost three weeks off to observe the ‘festive’ atmosphere of The Tournaments. Most of the time, he hated it. Those young children celebrating teams’ deaths and then, sometimes, observing them right before their eyes during the third round was disturbing. They were taught it all worked to better the rights, blood-lines, and morality of the population. It was such horseshit. 

***

Sasuke awoke to a sudden tsunami of pain and he cried out against it. In his mind he was asking Aoda to explain it away. His back arched as it seared up his spinal cord to the back of his skull. He felt himself rolling in his effort to escape it, only to be caught before he hit the floor when his body left the bed.

Kakashi jerked awake as the sound of Sasuke screaming and leaped over the bed and the other man sleeping in it. He was focused on getting out the door of the bedroom as quickly as possible. He heard Iruka scrambling not a second later. Upon entering the room just a few paces down the hall he found Naruto holding Sasuke as convulsions racked his body.

“Naruto, what’s happening?” Kakashi asked as he kneeled in front of them.

Red eyes lifted to look at him, “His body is acclimating along with his mind. The Fox said it should pass in a little bit.”

“Will this happen often, and if so, for how long?” Iruka asked as he lowered himself beside Naruto.

“The Fox doesn’t think it will be too much longer. Sasuke and Aoda knew each other well before everything so they shouldn’t really have any issues balancing out. By midday he should be stable.”

Kakashi considered the information, “So we should have no concerns about Aoda trying to take over?”

Naruto shook his head, “Aoda is a Fomorian, he has no reason to need Sasuke’s body in that way.”

Iruka was about to say something when he was interrupted by Sasuke abruptly pushing himself into a seated position. The raven shook his head a few times and blinked several. Then he let out a relieved and shaky sigh.

“That was fun,” the raven murmured as he turned back to the bed and began carefully climbing back up on it. 

“I’ll get it,” Naruto stated in answer to no request, getting up and leaving the room.

Iruka eyes followed the blond out the door quizzically, Kakashi also curious but watching Sasuke instead. Once the boy had clambered back into bed, he looked to the door and waited. His yellow, serpentine pupils shifting thickness as his lips moved ever so slightly. Not a moment later Naruto, wait, no a clone of him walked through the door with a glass of water.

“Here ya go, Sasuke. The original me is getting you something to munch on while also stuffing his face.”

“Yeah, I figured he was hungry too,” Sasuke commented with a smirk before taking a drink of water and sighing in relief. “This stuff sucks, you should be glad you never went through this.”

“Well, I was too small to remember even if I had. At least you got people here that won’t try to kill you off at your weakest,” the blond imitation commented as Iruka poked at him. “Yo, Iruka, what’s up?”

“You are quite impressive. Purely physical, no transparency, I am guessing you also throw a mean punch,” the instructor commented.

“Yeah, but I can’t take a hit worth shit.” 

Kakashi was listening to Iruka’s and the copy’s conversation when the real thing walked in carrying two plates. One had slices of tomato, a boiled egg, and some cubed cheese, while the other had much of the same except an orange in place of the tomato. Kakashi watched the boys’ interaction closely and noticed how Naruto nodded leaving the first plate with Sasuke, then returning to his bed as the double of himself poofed from existence. 

“Well boys, I think Iruka and I will head back to bed since everything seems to be under control now. We may have a few errands to run later tomorrow so try to rest up,” Kakashi announced as he stood and motioned for Iruka to follow.

The men left and as soon as they entered their room Iruka said what Kakashi was thinking, “Their communicating without spoken word, aren’t they?”

***

Sasuke woke up to Naruto reading his sealing book as he sat with his back against the headboard. His red eyes darted in his direction as soon as the raven decided to move. He knew why Naruto was in that state, he wondered if the two grown men had caught on.

The Uchiha had theorized they could communicate easily when both were within a shift. After being able to feel each other’s emotions whether they were within one or not, he got the inspiration. Naruto had agreed to experiment after Sasuke had first woken up and the men left the room. It had worked beautifully. It was most likely related with demons themselves being able to connect telepathically. While in their more human forms, they knew emotions weren’t always one hundred percent accurate in communicating but it would still be helpful.

_“How are you feeling?”_ Naruto asked as he turned his eyes back to the book to remember the page.

_“Better, not amazing, but better.”_

_“Ah, well, that’s good because it sounds like Iruka is thinking of checking up on you. You slept late, ya know. It’s almost noon,”_ Naruto continued as he tucked the book back underneath his bed and sat waiting.

_“I hope they have food ready, I am starving.”_

_“Trust me, I know. You feel hungry.”_

_“Like you have any room to talk.”_

A small grin spread across Naruto’s face before his rolled his eyes, them landing on the door, “Iruka, I can hear you! He’s awake, you can play mother hen now.”

“How did you even know it was me you little jerk?” Iruka asked as he entered.

“Kakashi has longer strides,” was Iruka’s answer as he narrowed his eyes at the blond.

“So Sasuke, how are you feeling?” the instructor asked as he sat on the boy’s bed.

“Good enough to walk around. I think it’s just lingering pains now,” he answered. “May we have lunch?”

“Sure, Kakashi is cooking it right now.”

“Is Kakashi wearing his mask again because he wasn’t last night? Why does he wear it anyway?” Naruto asked as he stood up.

“He is, his tainted status requires him to wear it.”

Sasuke released a hiss, _“Judgmental hypocrites. I can’t wait until we get a crack at them.”_

Naruto agreed with the comment Iruka didn’t hear and slid off the bed while Sasuke did the same. They followed Iruka out the door and toward the table. Kakashi greeted them placing a plate full of grilled cheeses in the mist of bowls of soup. 

When Naruto and Sasuke got an eyeful of the outside world through the clear floor to ceiling windows, they were met with cloudy, gray skies. Somehow, even with the dreary weather the city still looked beautiful. 

Naruto reached out to grab a sandwich and then stopped himself, “I forgot my gloves.”

“Naruto, if I am not scared of Kakashi’s cooties, I am definitely not afraid of yours,” Iruka commented.

“Well, I didn’t know if Sasuke or I should comment on that bit of information.”

Kakashi chuckled, “I knew with your ears there was no hiding our relationship, Naruto. And Sasuke is observant enough to notice things.”  
Sasuke nodded in agreement. 

Naruto shrugged and grabbed the sandwich he had wanted earlier. He enjoyed the light conversation as they all ate. It was always nice to eat somewhere without the snide comments and fights breaking out. Neither man even commented on Sasuke’s or his current physical states. 

When Naruto reached for seconds the conversation got interesting. They were supposedly going to attend multiple formal affairs. Sasuke’s annoyance was static in the back of his mind. Naruto snickered at the hints of the Uchiha’s thoughts that centered around starting a large fire to get out of one or two of them. 

Sasuke smirked at the Fox’s vessel, _“Tell me it wouldn’t be fun, I dare you to try.”_

_“It could be fun but I doubt Kakashi or Iruka would approve. We are going to be in fancy suits and stuff. We will have to act like gentlemen,”_ Naruto thought as he mimicked some of the Empyreans they had seen recently, head held high looking with distaste at his sandwich.

“Naruto, do you have a problem with my cooking?” Kakashi asked as he leaned into his space, his eye narrowed in a threatening manner.

“No, never!” Naruto blurted that was followed by Sasuke coughing, “Brown noser.”

“Shut it, Uchiha!” Naruto yelled at the raven as he threw a wadded napkin his direction.

***

Even with the rainy day, the night was clear as Naruto and Sasuke followed behind Kakashi and Iruka. Their eyes were their natural colors but they were using this experience learning to read the different flavors in their emotions. The errands that Kakashi had mentioned were mainly things for Iruka, but they didn’t argue. It was nice being outside without being in a competition.

They entered a lively pub, Iruka needing to see a few other instructors here for a meeting of sorts. Kakashi joined him to learn more about the academy Iruka taught in. It may teach Forsakens but he doubted it taught much of the truth. 

Sasuke and Naruto stayed standing as the two older men sat down with a large man that had a well-trimmed beard and a cigarette hanging from his mouth, along with another man who looked bored or annoyed. He had a bandana covering the top of his head, his shaggy, brunette hair hanging out, and his eyes droopy, yet looking alert. Before anyone started talking, a third man joined them, excusing himself around Naruto and Sasuke. He also wore a bandana but it was tied in the front, on his forehead, his brown hair reaching his chin, and he looked like a trickster with the toothpick hanging from his smirking lips. He eyed the two children attending to the two older males.

“So, who are these little sentinels, Iruka?” the last man to join asked.

“Genma, meet Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. They are the trainees of my good friend, Kakashi Hatake,” Iruka answered carefully. “They are in the top three and will be competing in the final stage of the tournaments.”

Kakashi shifted only slightly at the man’s scrutiny, as the other two also looked him and his trainees over. He raised an eyebrow as the large man with the smoldering cigarette reached over with his gloved hand and grabbed Naruto’s face. He turned his face this way and that before grabbing his hands, flipping them to see the underside of his wrists.

“I was curious of this possessed Uzumaki I saw within the rosters, not that the Uchiha isn’t also interesting,” he said as he then grabbed Sasuke’s wrists inspecting his elemental tattoos. “You almost have every element covered with these two, Hatake. By the way, I am Asuma Sarutobi.”

“Ah, a Sarutobi. Then you know my friends the Naras, Yamanakas, and Akimichis,” Kakashi commented.

Asuma smiled, still looking at the two trained killers standing at the end of the table before turning to Kakashi, “Yes, our families have deep rooted connections.”

Kakashi nodded in acknowledgment, before the man with a bored look in his eyes asked, “How long have you been training them?”

“We were seven when we started training with Sir Kakashi,” Sasuke answered. 

“Oh, they speak,” the man said, he eyes finally widened with a little expression.

“Sasuke, Naruto, this is Hayate Gekko,” Iruka said introducing him.

Both boys nodded with a small, “Sir.”

“Sasuke, grab Iruka and I something fruity,” Kakashi ordered as he handed the Uchiha a couple bills, “and Naruto, is there anyone listening in?”

“From what I can tell, all the people here think you’re a really boring group,” Naruto answered as Sasuke walked up to the bar. “Although, there is one woman, with a group of men, who is ‘severely perturbed’ with the fact that I am possessed and you are Tainted, Sir Kakashi.”

The masked man snickered, “That isn’t anything new, now is it?”

“No sir,” Naruto answered, shifting over slightly as Sasuke rejoined the table, setting two cocktails in front of Kakashi and handing the extra money back.

“Thank you, Sasuke,” Iruka responded as he sipped at his beverage. “Now gentlemen, what are we here to discuss exactly?”

Kakashi and his subordinates listened to the subject matter of the conversation. The Academy Intendent wanted the teachers to change the curriculum to basically sugarcoat The Rebellion and downplay any wrongs done by the council during that time. Naruto and Sasuke both watched as Kakashi seemed to get more tense as the conversation continued, and then excused himself for a moment, dragging Sasuke with him, and leaving Naruto to watch over Iruka. Naruto wasn’t exactly feeling comfortable with the discussion either, Sasuke’s emotions mirroring his own, before he felt pure anger erupt in Sasuke.

He focused on it and then looked around the restaurant. The angry woman was gone, along with the group that had been with her. This didn’t sit well with him and the echoing hostile feeling from Sasuke just added to it.

Naruto’s arm shot out and grabbed Iruka’s forearm, “Sir Iruka, I don’t mean to interrupt but I believe it is in your best interest to leave right now.” As soon as Iruka’s eyes were giving the Uzumaki full attention he continued quietly, “I have a feeling Sir Kakashi is no longer welcome around here.”

Iruka stood up without further explanation which intrigued, if not annoyed, the others at the table. The scarred instructor bid the others farewell quickly and allowed himself to be pulled outside by the blond Forsaken.

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Hayate murmured as the other two agreed.

***

Iruka watched Naruto stand outside the pub’s entrance for a few moments before heading farther into town center. A block or so down he heard it. There was a fight breaking out, and he doubted it was Kakashi getting the beating. When they rounded the corner into an alleyway, he wasn’t surprised.

Kakashi was crouched in a defensive stance, both eyes uncovered and hands out sparking with electricity as Sasuke had his back, his eyes focused on the men not within his overseer’s eyesight. There were already four men down, another three waiting for an opening. Iruka eyed the three men and smiled.

“Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, don’t move,” and then Iruka released a technique that was only supposed to used on the damned. 

He deemed these worthy, even if Sasuke and Kakashi could easily dispose of them. He watched as the men’s eyes went out of focus and then they began screaming in terror. He crossed his arms and waited until they each collapsed into useless lumps on the revolting alley pavement.

“Ah, Hell is definitely not for the faint of heart, now is it, Kakashi?”

The man in question drew the patch back over his eye as he stood straight and grinned underneath his mask, “Hell Viewing Technique, you bad boy. You’re supposed to be a Saint when it comes to the average public.”

“Oh please, you know I am far from a Saint,” Iruka replied as he rolled his eyes. “Come Naruto, Sasuke, we need to get some dinner and then find a place to buy a pair of clippers to clean up your haircuts.”

***

Kakashi was meandering behind Iruka with Naruto and Sasuke as they walked to the Men’s boutique for formal wear. He was pretty interested in the boys’ reactions to being treated like dolls. He inwardly chuckled as he imagined that annoying man’s response to them entering the store. Iruka suddenly turned and glared at his secret lover.

“I will have no funny business from you, Hatake. Got it?” he announced.

Kakashi, with the most innocent expression he had, responded, “Come now, Iruka. I always behave.”

“Like a pervert,” Iruka added quickly. “And you boys, play nice.”

Naruto and Sasuke glanced to the side and then creepy grins grew upon both their faces, “Yes, Uncle.”

Iruka turned to Kakashi and narrowed his eyes, “You told them to call me that, didn’t you?”

“Why am I the one guilty here? You told the store they were your nephews. I told them to step into character,” Kakashi said in his defense. 

Iruka huffed at the one-eyed man and then continued into the store being greeted not a moment later. The dapper Empyrean man didn’t stay long, annoyed with Kakashi and the ‘nephews’ that were not deserving of his time. Instead he sent the stock boy, who had helped them at the end of their last visit, to serve them.

He remembered Iruka’s order without prompting, retrieving the six formal sets. He asked which nephew was which and handed them their garment bags accordingly. They were then sent to try on their tuxes first. When both boys exited the dressing room, they looked like fish out of water.

Iruka laughed, “Oh come on, they aren’t that bad.”

“I just feel weird,” Naruto whined. “How do people move in these things?”

“Carefully,” the stock boy answered in a murmur. “I know they suck but making them sucks more. At least the designs for you two were more fun to sew.”

“Were they?” Sasuke commented as he stepped onto the slightly raised area so the owned help could check everything over.

“Of course. Iruka told my master that you two needed to be a little more interesting since you have demon blood,” he responded and then even more quietly added, “I didn’t have to add ruffles or godawful shiny shit to these things. It was all about interesting stitching and added edgy details.”

Sasuke watched as his gloved hands skimmed the blue and purple stitching along the black lapel and then straightened the gunmetal tie. He had to admit these were much more agreeable to him then some of the other stuff he saw being worn. The stock boy then moved to Naruto and double checked his white tux with orange and red stitching, pulling tight his golden tie.

“Uncle,” Sasuke begin with smirk, “are you sure it is wise to have Naruto in white? He isn’t exactly the cleanest person ever.”

Naruto glared at Sasuke, “But you could never pull of white, Sasuke. Your skin is too pasty.”

The boy now examining Naruto’s pant leg muffled a laugh and Naruto pointed to him, “See, he agrees!”

“Just because he laughed doesn’t mean he agrees,” Sasuke retorted. “He is probably laughing at how idiotic you are, Idiot.”

“Bastard.”

The stock boy couldn’t muffle his next laugh as Iruka told the boys to settle down. This was public and they needed to act like well-behaved gentlemen.

“That is asking for a miracle from moron over there,” Sasuke murmured.

“Hey, I heard that!”

Thankfully, the suits and tuxes fit well without any extra editing and the stock boy was greatly entertained by his costumer’s antics. He was especially amused by Iruka slapping away the other man with him, Kakashi was it. They seemed to annoy each other as much as the two Forsaken upon the pedestals. He hummed as he cashed out the purchases and returned to the stockroom but stopped immediately when his master produced a whip. He had heard what he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late Christmas present. :D


	23. Demon and Damsel

Naruto and Sasuke stood before Iruka’s full length mirror as he and Kakashi decided on which ties and pocket squares to accessorize them with. They were headed to a ‘meet and greet’ brunch of sorts. Iruka would be going as Kakashi’s plus one for networking purposes. They were to meet council members and fellow competitors that survived the first two rounds along with their overseers or masters. 

Naruto watched as Iruka added a shimmery orange tie with flame like embroidery to his barely-there-plaid, light charcoal suit. The man folded over the collar of the soft beige dress shirt and decided to add a paisley pocket square that picked up the orange of the tie. He had cleaned up their haircuts last night and was now adding gel into Naruto’s mohawk to slick it back some.

Sasuke had on a dusty brown suit with a light blue shirt and soft purple tie. Naruto didn’t understand how it went together until the blue and purple checkered pocket square joined the mix. It somehow worked. Kakashi flattened the lapels and buttoned the jacket minus the last. Sasuke’s hair was smoothed out except the back, long bangs in the front and undercut clean and pristine. 

To finish off their looks, Sasuke and Naruto slid on their oxford shoes and pulled on their black dress gloves as Kakashi and Iruka grabbed their blazers and did the same. 

A smoother looking mask and a tooled, leaf-patterned, leather eye patch were on Kakashi’s face. Iruka’s hair was pulled into his normal, short pony tail that Kakashi had adorned with a ribbon that complimented the instructor’s tie. Both their suits were dark gray with plain white shirts underneath and ties had bared the logos of their places of employment. Iruka tried to tame his lover’s wild, gray hair but found it fruitless.

“We should head out or we’ll be late,” Iruka announced as he grabbed his keys.

“Why the rush?” Kakashi questioned before the shorter man grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to eye level.

“We are not going to be your idea of fashionably late, Kakashi. Get your ass out this door!” the instructor demanded as his eyebrow twitched.

“Sure thing, my little mermaid,” the overseer returned with a hidden smile.

Iruka glared at Kakashi and growled, “My name means ‘dolphin’, you jerk of a scarecrow, and I am not a woman. If anything, I would be a merman, thank you very much.”

“A cute, little merman.”

“I think I am gonna be sick,” Naruto suddenly announced with a face of revolution. “You guys are gross.”

Sasuke wore an equally disgusted face, “Please don’t kiss or something.”

“Hey!” Iruka responded turning to the two boys. “We have to act all platonic for most of the day and it’s harder than it looks. Deal with it!”

“Look at that, now he’s a spiny, little pufferfish,” Kakashi taunted before rushing out the door to escape the smaller man’s wrath.

Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head, “And these are the two men over us?”

“Yup,” Naruto answered. “At least they’re fun, right?”

The brunch was not fun, at least not walking in. Naruto and Sasuke both were received with less than friendly greetings. Kakashi and Iruka sat in their assigned seats while Naruto and Sasuke had to stand behind them like product for show. Both boys noticed the second team from the train in attendance along with Tenten and the Hyuga, Kiba and Shino, and a few single competitors that had lost their teammates before the end of round two.

Sasuke was fuming within taking notice of the Sanctified competitors who were allowed to sit and socialize without permission. They were supposed to be in the same position but no, they were special, divine. He wanted to gouge their eyes out with a rusty spoon.

“Sasuke,” the Uchiha heard Naruto whisper, “you need to chill. Your eyes are starting to shift.”

Shit. He had forgotten Naruto’s energy was affected by his emotions and he was now in the same boat. He needed to calm himself. Sasuke couldn’t just hide his thoughts behind a blank face anymore. He had to keep them in check, even within his own mind. He apologized to Aoda and nodded his head in understanding to Naruto. At least this thing was outside so he wasn’t standing in middle of a restaurant. 

Then he noticed Naruto suddenly stiffen and his body did the same. That thing was here? How could they even bring him out in public, let alone to a formal event. He slowly turned to look and saw all three. That was not going to help his mood.

“Seals, he is covered in seals somehow,” Naruto murmured. “His energy is so broken.”

“Seals?” Sasuke repeated.

“Yeah, can’t you sense how almost nonexistent his cycle is? It’s like it keeps stopping then starting again,” the Uzumaki explained.

The Uchiha nodded before Kakashi reached up and lightly yanked his bangs.

“What’s up, Sasuke? You seem tense and I hear you and Naruto whispering.”

The raven looked around the table of eight, everyone else seemed to be involved in other conversations, “The other possessed is here. We are assessing whether he is a threat.”

Kakashi nodded, “Carry on then.”

Iruka had heard and turned to look at Naruto behind him, the blond tilted his head waiting for Iruka’s order. The man just raised his empty glass to Naruto and shook it slightly asking for a refill. The blond bowed his head and took the glass, heading towards the small, outdoor bar area.

He knew why Iruka had truly asked for a refill. It gave Naruto the freedom to check over the shaded area and gather more information. The three were here but they looked apprehensive. Shukaku’s vessel had a heavy, leather collar peeking out from under his dress shirt, it was likely what carried the seals. It would be easy to put on and remove without the required time of redrawing the seals on one’s body. It seemed to be causing him distress.

The older, blond girl kept trying to help the redhead as he seemed to lose his footing from time to time. The other boy, still in purple face paint, kept his distance. He was telling the girl not to bother; their little brother didn’t want her help.

Naruto eyes widened as the server refilled Iruka’s glass at this new bit of information. They were siblings, all three of them. No wonder they stayed so close to each other even though they were supposed to be in two, two-man teams. He wondered which let their team member die.

He carefully walked back over to Iruka, setting the orange juice mixed drink down. 

“Why did you have him do that?” a wrinkly, old council member asked. “We have servants at your beck and call at this function.”

Iruka smiled, took a sip and then answered, “Naruto is trained to keep whomever is his charge safe from all threats including poisoning in one’s food or drink. I figured I might as well put him to good use.”

“Are you insinuating that any of the people attending would do such a thing?” the woman returned with malice.

“It is always the best practice to be cautious. There aren’t only Empyreans here, are there?” Iruka replied with a smirk. “How do you know one of the losing competitors don’t hold a grudge?”

Her eyes narrowed but she leaned back in her chair with a huff. It wasn’t something she could exactly argue with. That was a possibility, a small one, but it was there. Iruka grinned at his victory before taking another sip.

Suddenly Iruka was pushed forward by Naruto getting shoved into his chair. He turned his head as Naruto quickly straightened himself and pulled Iruka’s chair back a comfortable distance. The blond apologized and asked his former instructor if he was okay.

“Yes, I’ve fine. What happened?”

“I was just bumped by a guest trying to get to their seat. There was no threat to you, Sir,” the boy explained.

“Who bumped into you?”

“It was someone we met on a train here actually, I do not know his name, Sir.”

Iruka leaned toward an annoyed Kakashi who was glaring a hole into the retreating back. He relayed what Naruto had said and then continued the other conversation. 

“Who was it?” Sasuke inquired when no more attention was being paid to Naruto, there were only two possibilities.

“The guy that was surprised I was allowed on the train. Didn’t he call me dickless?”

Sasuke ground his teeth. He was frustrated he hadn’t noticed that angelic bastard headed their direction.

The brunch continued with Sasuke and Naruto watching as the food was served and wishing they were sitting at the table. The scents were driving them both insane. Thankfully, Iruka and Kakashi sneaked them bits and pieces of their meal. The teammates pretended to cough, clear their throat, or turn at just the right moment to enjoy the bite-sized snacks.

Calmly standing behind Iruka as he answered questions from the councilwoman about the academy, Naruto heard an unusual sound and then felt the buildup energy. He quickly grabbed Sasuke’s closest hand and slammed their hands on the table.

“Sasuke, give me energy for a barrier NOW!”

There was no hesitation as energies combined and funneled into the barrier while Naruto quoted the steps to its creation like Kakashi had taught. Sasuke’s energy gave it the boost it needed to spread quickly around the table. The explosion of fire and wind energy hint just scarcely before the barrier hit the floor but it did its job. The people at the table only experienced a quick surge of heat. 

Sasuke watched as Naruto concentrated to hold the shield while using his advanced sight to try to find the source. It came from the entry to the kitchen. Most tables had found a way to be protect themselves. As soon as the energy fell back, Naruto dropped the barrier and had a whirling ball of energy in one hand with a knife in the other. Sasuke grabbed the second knife from Naruto’s horizontal knife holster under his blazer and had his opposite hand sparking.

The Uchiha saw no other threats but his ears were suddenly filled with loud shouts, sobbing, and other people drawing weapons. Then the accusations started flying. They ranged from blaming the help, the Mephistophelian competitors, and even random council members. Sasuke startled when Naruto suddenly went weaving through tables. 

“Sasuke, stay with Sir Kakashi and Sir Iruka,” he called back.

The Uchiha watched as his friend ran to the table their last three enemies had been occupying. He was confused until he felt it or, more precisely, didn’t feel it. The other possessed’s energy didn’t exist but he saw the shock of red hair on the ground. Had he been killed? What was going on?

Naruto, on the other hand, was now kneeling and hovering over Gaara’s still form. Something was terribly wrong and could get even worse if he died. The Fox was screaming it in the blonde’s head. If the vessel dies the demon is free. If Shukaku gets free, there would be more than Hell to pay.

“What the hell are you doing here!?” he heard Temari, the blond girl, yell in his ear.

“What happened? I need to know what happened!” Naruto demanded as he undid the redhead’s tie and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“Who are you to care?” she screamed back.

“Shut up!” Naruto’s echoing voice commanded as his eyes faded red and teeth sharpened. “You know exactly who I am,” he snapped. “Do you want him to die? Do you want Shukaku, the demon inside of him, to be free to murder and destroy?”

“No,” she whispered with a hard swallow. “He used his sand shield to protect us and our master. Afterwards, when he released it, he passed out. That’s never happened before.”

Naruto nodded at the information and then studied the collar covered in seals and cursed, “Who the fuck made this? Who put this on him?”

“I did,” a stern, deep voice answered. “Why are you touching him, boy?”

A harsh looking man with cheek tattoos on one side of his face and a headdress covering the other glared in the Uzumaki’s direction. The boy growled at the man and gnashed his teeth at his stupidity.

“Many of these seals were never meant to be used on top of each other like this. This collar is not allowing his energy to replenish from his cycle like it should. He is suffocating from lack of life force!” Naruto answered.

“Like an ignorant possessed would know anything about that.”

“An Uzumaki would which is the demon clan that created many of these seals. You may think of yourself as divine but you have no idea what you are messing with,” Naruto snarled in annoyance as he tried to find the right seal. 

Gaara used a large technique to protect the group and his body would have normally refreshed his energy from his cycle. The collar had blocked that from happening. One seal reduced energy, the next blocked it, the other absorbed it, and the others enhanced all of these in ways that are deadly. Naruto had to hurry.

He found it, he finally found it. He slammed a potent and precise stream of energy into the seal, destroying it. The collar’s clasp popped open and Naruto yanked it off. He felt Sasuke’s connection to his mind and hoped he would feel what he was about to do. He threw the collar his direction, and even among the chaos surrounding them, he heard his teammate catch it.

The man’s angry voice filled his ears, and he felt a hand try to grab the collar of his suit. Another hand quickly batted it out of the way.

“Naruto, what do you need?”

It was Kakashi. Naruto eyes grew wide when he didn’t feel Gaara’s energy begin replenishing. Shit! What was going on. Wait.

“Temari! When did he drink last?” Naruto called out still sensing her energy beside him.

“He had water not-“

“Not damn water!” Naruto interrupted angrily. “Blood, when did he have blood last?”

“What!? Why does that matter? That is just a sick fetish he has!”

Naruto had his answer. They didn’t know he needed at least some blood to sustain him. The vessel of the one-tail’s breathing was getting too shallow, he was about to die and release the monstrosity inside of him. SHIT!

“Sir Kakashi, give me a glass,” the blond insisted as he looked at his overseer’s face.

The man didn’t pause to grab an empty glass from the nearby table. Gaara’s master was demanding to know why Kakashi was entertaining his slave’s wishes and wanting the collar back on his property immediately. Kakashi set the glass on the ground beside his student as Naruto pulled his left-handed glove up just enough to reveal as much of his palm as possible. He took the knife he had with him and sliced. His eyes turned blue as he squeezed his hand over the glass trying to get as much blood into it as possible.

Temari watched with her hand-covered mouth and Kakashi kept as many people away as possible. What Naruto was about to do would disturb many here but he didn’t give a damn. Save someone while bringing the world down on himself or allow a Great Demon to destroy that same world and all who were in it whether guilty or not, the choice was simple.

There was at least a vial worth of blood in the glass. He forced Gaara’s mouth open with his gloved hand while using the bloody one to pour the contents down the other possessed boy’s throat. He smashed the glass on the pavement, before sending water to clean his blood from the area. 

“Come on, wake up!” Naruto pleaded. 

Naruto was then nudged out of the way by Kakashi. He put his palm over Gaara’s chest and the boy arched off the ground as electricity slammed into him. When his back hit the ground, his eyes shot open and his hands hit Naruto shoulders to push him away. Then he froze.

The red-headed boy looked around confused. Around them people were staring, some shouting, but behind those, others were being evacuated. Then he noticed the other one, the dark haired one. He was alive and he was glaring down his nose in his direction. Gaara didn’t understand. He thought for sure he had been dying a few days ago. 

The raccoon-dog had been yelling at him for his stupidity as he faded out, hoping he died and set him free. But he was alive and, and the weight of the collar no longer covered his neck. His hands left the blond boy’s shoulders and grabbed at his own throat. He was never allowed in public without the suffocating thing on. Why was it off? Who took it off?

“It was going to kill you,” the boy in front of him supplied, the very boy he had wanted to destroy. “I got that thing off and tried my best to save you. Sir Kakashi is the one that gave you the last nudge though.”

Gaara turned his head toward the man that the boy had indicated. He was so bewildered. So many people wanted him dead, wished for it. But these two, one of them he tried to kill, had saved him. 

Gaara moved, pulling Naruto towards himself and halting the baton about to smash into the others boy’s skull. Kakashi, at the same moment, had the knife, still covered with his trainee’s blood at the attacker’s throat. Sasuke’s rage shot through the blonde’s mind like a lightning strike.

“Baki, if you dare touch him, I will kill you,” Gaara’s deep voice rumbled.

“Then you are asking for your own death. If I die, the seal on the back of your neck will make you meet the same end,” his master smirked.

“You think I fear death?” the redhead asked. “People have been trying to kill me my entire life, Baki. Plus, you have this possessed’s master pressing a bloody knife to your throat. Seeing as how this boy is the only one wounded around us, I am guessing that is his blood. Do you wish to become tainted even if you don’t die?”

Baki sneered and backed away, Gaara pulling the baton from his grip. Kakashi lowered the knife and grabbed Naruto’s hand to pull his glove back down. The wound was already closing, but others didn’t need to know. Naruto felt the redhead let go on him and then push himself up.

Temari looked at Gaara with fear and concern in her eyes. Naruto observed her asking if he was okay and he nodded. He asked her about his collar’s whereabouts and she pointed towards Sasuke. Naruto was pulled up by Kakashi then and was walked back Iruka and Sasuke’s way. Then Kankuro blocked his path.

“You have balls to save him. Do you know how many he has killed for fun?”

“Tell me what you’d do with some unstable thing shoved inside you,” was Naruto’s only reply before he shoved his way through.

As Naruto continued to follow behind Kakashi, he noticed most had run from the area. The guy who had shoved him into Iruka was still there with his overseer and his teammate. There were also a few servants darting around trying to clean the burnt messes left behind. It looked as through no one had been injured surprisingly, some did look to be a bit singed though. 

When Naruto reached Sasuke, the raven stared at him and Naruto felt his teammate’s concern along with his anger. Naruto cringed, worried it was aimed at him. Sasuke shook his head in return feeling Naruto’s apprehension. 

“I’m frustrated with the bastard who tried to beat you after you saved Gaara. You’ll have to explain why you didn’t let him die, though.”

***

Sai watched as the four of them left. Those two were as impressive as Donzo had guessed they would be by now. The barrier the blond had accomplished wasn’t common knowledge so it begged the question of where he had learned it. And the dark-haired boy seemed to be well-connected to his teammate. The way his body reacted, even with small twitches, indicated he was more aware of the blonde’s actions than others would ever be.

Hatake also appeared to very informed of his trainees’ constitutions. He was not in any way concerned of their actions. He did keep heavy Life Bonding Seals on them, according to law, but didn’t act like he had any reason to use them. And Umino, the one with him, didn’t seem nervous around them either. Were they that obedient or was there something else going on?

The commotion over the other known possessed had not gone unnoticed by Sai either. He didn’t get to observe everything with the fleeing bodies and small fires being extinguished, but he did see the blond easily break the locking seal on the collar. When he observed the blond feed the redhead blood for one reason or another, he grew even more curious. Why would the Uzumaki care about someone who was not his charge? It wasn’t logical.

He had much to report and would be mindful to ask for permission to watch Umino as closely as the other three. His assigned partner, Terai, had remained calm and did nothing but exactly what he was ordered which was to stay by Sai’s side. They had to keep up the ruse that they were an Empyrean team after all. 

***

When they had made in back to Iruka’s apartment it was nearing one in the afternoon. They had been stopped and asked a few questions. Sasuke had been a suspect because of his fire ability. Naruto, Kakashi, and Iruka had all clarified that he had been under a barrier during the attack. They all were mentally exhausted and the boys were excused to the guest room to rest.

As they lay in their beds, the Uchiha and the Uzumaki discussed silently what had happened at the brunch. They traded the details they had noticed and what they had heard. Whether any of the information could be used for Stage Three was unknown, they hadn’t been informed who the other four finalists were. 

Sasuke listened intently to Naruto explain his actions with the redhead, Gaara. Naruto had not only saved him to save everyone else but because he did feel a slight connection with the older male. With a Great Demon also sealed and jailed within his body, they had many similarities. Just one ended up with a more reasonable demon than the other. The raven understood somewhat but hoped Naruto’s decision didn’t come back to bite the blond in the ass.

Gaara truly appreciated his teammate’s help he hoped. What Sasuke had seen indicated the Forsaken had. Gaara protected Naruto from being beaten and hadn’t even asked for the collar back that Kakashi had quickly stored inside a seal. The two siblings though, he wondered if they were wishing for their brother’s death. The Uchiha knew they feared him.

***

The next day led to Iruka being interviewed about the events of the brunch. Sneering, a set of Law Keepers entered Iruka’s apartment and glared at the other three occupying it. 

“Sir Iruka, we were informed you attended the event yesterday that was attacked,” one of them began. “We need your statement concerning the occurrence.”

“We already spoke to someone as we were leaving, was that not enough?” he replied.

“From the report we read, it was just to clear the Uchiha who you have in your possession. We need a full witness statement of the event to clarify how it unfolded,” the second one explained.

Iruka let out a sigh but then did as they asked while Kakashi had Naruto and Sasuke begin preparing lunch. The trainees began chopping vegetables and prepping meat for stir-fry while the older man observed. The overseer leaned against the counter pretending to supervise. He had a feeling the two extra Empyreans may stay a while and instructed there to be enough food for six.

Iruka sat at the table, with two extra uninvited guests while Naruto and Sasuke served the food. He was annoyed that the Law Keepers decided it was their right to join them for lunch since two slaves had prepared it. They reasoned, after he had given his full statement, they should stay and observe any and all suspects in their environment. 

To say lunch was awkward was an sincere understatement. The Law Keepers kept questioning all that the Forsaken trainees did even if they were ordered to do so. Kakashi began to only give short answers after a while, letting every bit of his agitation show. Iruka wasn’t any happier, they were overstaying their welcome.

Naruto and Sasuke cleared the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Those that didn’t fit, they washed in the sink. Naruto scrubbed while Sasuke rinsed. Sasuke was drying the second to last pan when Naruto heard it drop to the floor with a long clang.

Sasuke’s hand clung to the end of the sink, knuckles white, while his other arm was wrapped around his torso. He began sinking to the floor, his yellowish, serpentine eyes wide and mouth wide open, fangs fully visible. Naruto shifted as he dropped to the floor with him, blocking him from view of those at the table. He felt the pain, heard Sasuke begging Aoda to make it stop.

“What going on in there!?” he heard one of the Law Keepers yell.

Answering would be a mistake right now, his voice would give more away than he was willing to allow. Footsteps were heard approaching but he knew them, Iruka. When the teacher’s sight took in the situation he quickly turned and gave an answer.

“Sasuke, the Uchiha, was poisoned in the second round. He is still recovering. It causes him pain as it works through his system,” he quickly explained. “We have given Naruto the role of taking care of him until he recovers.”

Naruto then heard, rather than saw, Iruka walk back to the dining area, and he reached out to Sasuke. His mouth was now closed, but his fangs were hanging over his bottom lip as he hissed in a breath. The Uchiha’s hand left the edge of the sink and landed on Naruto’s shoulder as his mind kept working through the odd pain radiating from his core. He was relaying as much he could through their shared connection.

“It must be the last of it,” Naruto whispered. “It seems to be lessening already.”

Sasuke nodded in agreement and slowly stood as he grabbed the pan still laying on the floor. He handed it back to Naruto to rewash. The Uzumaki’s scarlet eyes stayed focused on Sasuke as he scrubbed it again before depositing it into the rinsing side of the sink. Sasuke opened his mouth, his fangs retracting back inside, and he licked his lips as he withdrew the arm around his torso. Naruto washed the last pan and then began putting away the dishes that Sasuke had finished drying.

Not much later, and before both trainees were done cleaning up the kitchen, the Law Keeper’s left with a promise to come back if anything odd came up with Iruka’s story. Kakashi entered the kitchen, approaching and then turning Sasuke to face him. The Uchiha reassured him that he would be fine, just the last few things clicking into place for Aoda’s habitation of his body. 

***

A week later, the four of them were in tuxes. Naruto’s white blazer, with its red and orange stitching, had wind like embroidery along the bottom, with a few foxes frolicking through the swirls of thread in blues and golds. Sasuke’s black tux had purple, blue, and dark gray flames licking up from the bottom of the jacket that drew out the stitching and tie in the same colors. Iruka brought out flashier shoes than the oxfords they had worn to the brunch which had proven to be a pain in their side this whole time.

Every errand or affair they had been to the last week, they were being observed by someone or something. It was ridiculous. They did notice others under heavy scrutiny whenever they happened to cross paths with other competitors. 

While none of the additional events had been formal, they had been just as demeaning. They were taken on a tour of the city while people along the way inspected their movements like they were show ponies. At another venue, they were literally one of the main attractions in a tent to show off their skills in public. Now they were headed to a ball.

Sasuke’s deep violet shoes sported silver tips on the toes while Naruto’s black shoes, to compliment the black edge on his lapel, had gold. Iruka had also supplied more formal looking gloves and helped attach their snake and fox cufflinks. The Uzumaki’s hair was now fully combed down to one side and Sasuke’s slicked back with his bangs combed over to cover one eye.

Kakashi seemed annoyed with his black tux that had been adorned with shiny medals that showed his accomplishments and current occupation. Iruka’s somewhat shimmery, gray tux also had such things but he seemed more accustomed to the added details. The teacher’s shirt even had a ruffled collar that made Naruto feel itchy just looking at it.

Once Kakashi was done tying up Iruka’s hair into its normal ponytail, they were on their way to the formal outing. The boys reviewed with Kakashi formal manners, dancing, greetings, titles, and farewells as Iruka drove. Duke Hiashi Hyuga, along with a few of his family members, were to be present among other high-ranking officials and clan leaders.

When they arrived, Iruka was made to park in the back while limousine after limousine stopped in the front of the large hall similar in architecture as the registration building for The Tournaments. The sculptures and statues decorating the structure and front lawn were all soft, graceful figures that seemed to be illustrating each of the elements. The giant pillars adorning the entrance were covered with brightly colored flowers and small white, wrapping lights.

Entering the ornate hall, Sasuke and Naruto’s eyes grew wide. A grand staircase was covered in lush royal blue carpet and the marble banisters lined in actual gold. If they could have, their eyes would have grown even wider when they climbed those steps to view the grand ballroom. The mosaic floor mimicked ocean waves and on the walls huge tapestries and oil paintings depicting grand events in Empyrean history hung. 

The tables that surrounded the dance floor, that was tiled with mother-of-pearl, had cream colored tablecloths layered with soft teal. The plates looked like they were never meant to be eaten from, and the center pieces were depictions of angels in battle. Surprisingly, these tables did have assigned seating that included Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.

On either side of Iruka and Kakashi sat the boys who tried to stay attentive but even they had to admit the opening speaker wasn’t very engaging. He was speaking on why The Tournaments were started and what they meant in this day and age. The only time he seemed to really grab the teens’ attention was when he proclaimed he was about to announced those who would be entering the third round.

“Neji Hyuga and Tenten Tamura came in first place, Sai Inku and Terai Endo second, and Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki came in third. They will be the contestants in the final round of The Tournaments! Now I believe it is time for dinner to be served,” the man concluded his lackluster speech.

A server soon arrived at their table with a cart full of tantalizing dishes for each of the attendees within the area. Without prompting, Naruto and Sasuke immediately stood up to help serve the food. The server looked grateful and instructed them who got what. A few people at the table raised an eyebrow or pursed their lips.

The Forsaken trainees were careful not to spill a thing and placed Kakashi’s and Iruka’s dishes gracefully in front of them. The rest of the table had started eating but watched perplexed as the gray-haired overseer and brunette instructor waited until their students had their food and were also seated before they dared to picked up their silverware. 

Sasuke ended up with a vegetarian meal and knew he should probably eat a hard-boiled egg or two to satisfy Aoda when they returned home. Naruto had a meat dish with potatoes. The Uzumaki seemed to be enjoying his dinner and the Uchiha had to agree the food was delicious. As soon as most people were finished desserts began rolling out before the ballroom dancing begun.

With the dancing now in full swing, Sasuke and Naruto stood along the edge of the dance floor offering their services or, in other words, letting potential purchasers test the merchandise’s skill. Kakashi and Iruka were already twirling along the floor, the overseer with a woman who wouldn’t shut up and the instructor with another female would wouldn’t stop trying to play with his ponytail. Neither looked overjoyed to be doing so.

“Hello,” Sasuke and Naruto both turned to the greeting and saw Gaara standing with his brother and sister flanking him. “Are you enjoying the event?”

He looked so awkward, not glaring or acting insane, Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk, “Not at all, you?”

“Likewise, you?” he then asked of Naruto. 

“The food was good but being paraded around isn’t exactly my thing.”

Gaara gave a nod while his siblings were observing the rest of the ballroom, “How do you control it?” he asked quietly.

“Ah,” Naruto sighed, “I can’t really discuss that here. Too bad there aren’t many times we can talk.”

“Where are you staying?” Temari asked suddenly. “My brother is very interested it that particular discussion.”

Sasuke scowled, “I don’t know if it’s wise to share that information with you. Gaara may trust Naruto now and Naruto, Gaara, but that doesn’t mean you are trustworthy.”

Temari’s eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched, “I would do anything for my little brother, even trust you if he tells me to.”

An interruption to their conversation came in the form of Neji Hyuga as he dragged another Hyuga through them onto the dance floor. The girl didn’t look like she wanted any part in dancing but didn’t pull away or struggle. Her eyes were cast down as she carefully placed her hand on his shoulder and offered her other for him to take. He looked utterly annoyed by the idea but did so and began dancing familiar steps to the music.

The girl appeared nervous as she let Neji lead. Her chin-length, bluish-black hair hid her face most of the time but she seemed to be blushing every moment she accidently stepped on one of her dancing partner’s feet. Naruto could barely hear her above the classical music but she was constantly apologizing in a soft, gentle voice. 

Neji was a totally different animal, he looked infuriated by her lack of skill on the dancefloor. By the time the second song ended he was angrily critiquing her, pointing out every little failure. The girl took it all with her head bowed and her pale eyes growing a wet sheen. During the third classical piece he left her. He left her standing among the tides of people swaying, spinning, and prancing to the rhythm.

Naruto and Sasuke watched as she stood there. Her face finally lifted and she looked terrified. She lifted her hand calling for Neji, pleading for him to come back. Instead, he again stalked through them without a care for his dance partner. Naruto turned to looked at her again, and that is when he noticed.

Her eyes weren’t the clear, pearly look of the Hyuga, but had a foggy, almost cloudy look to them. The Uzumaki moved without thinking and entered the dance floor to get to her. That bastard left a blind girl standing in the middle of what she could only translate as rhythmic chaos. He watched as tears began to fall down her cheeks, her soft cries for help going unanswered.

***

She startled when she finally felt a hand grab her own but allowed a relieved, small grin to grace her face. Neji didn’t leave her stranded here, he was going to take her back to the table. 

“Neji, I am truly sorry. I really didn’t mean to. Take me back please?”

“Miss, I’m not Neji,” the dark-haired girl heard an unfamiliar voice answer. 

Now that she was focused on the presence holding her lace-loved hand she sensed his energy. It was far from the clean and pristine of Neji, but wild, searing and somewhat dark and bright at the same time. Like a summer thunderstorm that brings heavy, black clouds and the brightest of lightning. 

“My name is Naruto, Miss. I just saw you get left on the dance floor and I thought you’d rather be escorted off rather then stand here and hope for Neji to return.”

Her cloudy eyes widened, “Uzumaki?”

“Yes, Miss, Naruto Uzumaki. May I ask your name?”

She swallowed. She doubted her father would be happy with this but she was not about to refuse someone who would be willing take her from her living nightmare. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

“I am Lady Hinata Hyuga.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. Life can get a little overwhelming.


	24. Truth Filled Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!MATURE CONTENT WARNING!! Homosexual activities are afoot! Adult content! If you don't approve of man on man action than skip that part. You'll know it when you get to it.
> 
> Please enjoy!  
> **********************************************************************************************************************************

Sasuke watched as Naruto weaved through the dancers to get to the lone girl in the middle of the ballroom floor. He had to admit that was a new low for the Hyuga. Even their training at the compound had repeatedly pounded into their skulls you should never leave a lady alone on the dance floor. It was a downright insult.

Once Naruto had the girl’s hand and her attention, Sasuke’s eyes went searching for the male Hyuga. Gaara also seemed interested in where he ended up. His table was more of the extravagant ones. The chairs appeared extra plush and there were multiple waiters on standby for the table’s occupants. Sasuke’s mouth tilted into a smirk when he noticed pink tucked into tights curls and woven into perfect pleats. She was sitting at that exact table and looking forlorn and he knew how to wipe that look right off her face.

Before Sasuke put his plan into action Gaara spoke, “The Hyuga, tell me you have a plan to offend him as much as he offended the girl?”

“Oh, that I do. You’re more than welcome to watch.”

***

Naruto grinned at the young lady’s response. This was going to be an interesting endeavor. Lady Hinata Hyuga, the first-born heir to the Hyuga fortune. He had read about her, about how some sort of accident, that was not elaborated upon, had the clan questioning her right to inherit. Blindness, the accident must have led to her blindness, which must be taboo to their bloodline. All their power was in their eyes and now they would consider her useless even if she was healthy otherwise.

“My lady, care for a dance then?” he responded.

“I’m not very good,” she whispered already blushing.

“I am a better lead than Sir Neji, my lady. Plus, I rarely get angry at honest mistakes,” he bragged for her amusement.

She smiled, her free hand covering her mouth, before she found his elbow and felt her way up his arm until her palm rested on his shoulder. Her face turned down for a moment, maybe to be certain of her decision before she answered with a shy nod.

Naruto carefully extended his gloved hand to her waist, lifted her other hand to the proper height and twirled her into the already active group of dancers starting with a simple waltz. He knew Sasuke would be better as this, his advanced sight would be able to predict her every move so she would never know she was about to step on one’s foot but he also knew what it felt like to be blind to the world. He would never hold anything she did against her. 

The Forsaken slave watched as the Sanctified heiress seemed grow comfortable with him as they danced a few circuits around the ballroom floor. She had stepped on his foot maybe twice but it was light and he didn’t even flinch so it would go unnoticed. Her face finally lifted and she closed her milky, lavender eyes and she began humming the musical piece they danced to. 

“Enjoying yourself, my lady?” he asked to make a little small talk.

She giggled, “Yes, actually. Neji would have been scolding me right now for doing such a childish thing as humming.”

“Really, we’re close to the same age, aren’t we, my lady?” he questioned. “Maybe Sir Neji can only hum off key?”

She shook her head at this, the smile never leaving her face, “You are brave to speak so candidly. Does your master not reprimand you for having a personality?”

“Sir Kakashi is training an Uchiha and an Uzumaki, he shouldn’t expect anything less, my lady.”

“Does he hold it against you, your,” she paused for a moment, maybe looking for the right word, “your condition?”

Hinata was startled slightly by his sudden laughter. She thought the subject of his possession would be one he’d shy away from. She was told they were internally going through torture no one could imagine, the demon eating away at anything that made them somewhat human.

“My lady, Sir Kakashi finds my ‘condition’ a selling point.”

***

Sasuke made his way to the Hyuga table and entered Sakura’s vision. He smirked as he walked confidently up to her chair. He could feel Neji’s glare but he paid it no mind.

“Miss Sakura, my overseer wished me to show my dancing skills to the attendees of this event. Who you mind if I asked you to be my dancing partner?”

Sakura blushed but straightened her back and answered in a serious tone, “I guess I can humor your request, Uchiha.”

Sasuke offered his hand, Sakura taking it as she stood up and Neji spit, “Are you seriously going to dance with that filth? You are training to be Lady Hinata’s handmaiden.”

“Yes, I do, Sir Neji. Where is Lady Hinata, by the way? You returned but without her in your presence.”

Sasuke side-eyed Neji while still facing the girl, “My teammate, Naruto Uzumaki, is currently dancing with the young woman he left alone on the dance floor. Is that who you are speaking of?”

Sakura turned a hard stare quickly in Neji’s direction. He may outrank her when it came to bloodline but he was supposed to be as protective of Hinata as herself. To leave her blind, alone, and in the middle of dozens upon dozens of unknown moving bodies was not only insulting but dangerous with the heiress’s pedigree. 

“She wanted to find another dancing partner,” Neji defended himself when Sakura’s scowl landed on him. “Plus, Sakura, you can’t do anything to hurt me. Although, Hinata will never hear the end of it when Duke Hiashi hears that she is sharing her time with a possessed abomination.”

“He’s not an abomination, Sir Neji,” Sakura replied with an edge in her voice. “He is a well-trained individual as is Sasuke Uchiha. I have already tested their services in Cernunnos with Lady Ino Yamanaka. I trust her safety in his demonic hands more than yours currently.”

Inwardly, Sasuke was very, very amused that Sakura had done his task for him. He had had a feeling that the only reason why she was at this table would be for the female Hyuga but he didn’t know said Hyuga was the Lady Hinata Hyuga. That was the unknown, brilliant cherry on top.

“How dare you talk to me that way, Haruno!” Neji growled. “You may be Empyrean but you are at the bottom. You are but a handmaiden.”

“I am and one trusted with the safety of an heiress, one being trained my Lady Tsunde Senju. I may be under you Sir Neji, but you have compromised my charge,” she returned and then turned to Sasuke. “I apologize for the interruption, you asked me to dance.”

“I did, Miss. Shall we?”

***

The music had switched to a livelier tempo which had Hinata asking Naruto to take to her the side to wait for slower piece. She didn’t trust herself enough to try the foxtrot or quickstep among that many people. Naruto gently guided her to the edge of the dancefloor, holding her hand in the nook of his opposite elbow. Thankfully, most people gave them a relatively wide birth.

As they stood, waiting for a more suitable song, Naruto sensed Sasuke headed his direction. The blond had wondered what his teammate had left to do but was delightedly surprised to see a familiar face on his friend’s arm. 

Sakura looked radiant in the seafoam green dress. It may have had a few too many bows and the skirt was a bit full with its soft, multi-colored, petal-like hem but she blended in nicely with all the well-to-do snobs. It was off the shoulder and she wore a sparkling necklace that matched her eyes perfectly.

That was when Naruto turned his head to take in Hinata’s dress. He hadn’t even noticed when he had gone out to save her from utter embarrassment. It was a deep purple, almost black, with a high neck that reminded him of the odd fashions Chinese dolls from another century would wear in their history books. Her skirt was also a bit full and ended mid-calf, similar to Sakura’s. It too had a few too many embellishments but the lanterns embroidered along the hem gave it a fairytale like quality.

“Hello again, Idiot,” Sasuke greeted when he reached them. 

“Bastard, I see you found a worthy dance partner,” Naruto bantered back.

“But of course, wouldn’t want you upstaging me with your mediocre skills.”

“If I have mediocre skills, it is because you were a terrible dance partner.”

“Um, who is here?” Hinata quietly asked confused by the conversation.

Naruto turned to her and patted her hand on his arm, “Sorry Lady Hinata, Sasuke Uchiha, my teammate, and Miss Sakura has joined us.”

“Oh, Sakura! Hello! Sorry, I thought I felt your energy but I didn’t want to be wrong.”

Sakura giggled, “Lady Hinata, it’s fine. How are your nerves? Are you doing okay in this crowd?”

“Yes, thank you. Naruto is making sure I am enjoying myself.” She then turned her face to where she felt the other demonic energy, and held out her hand, “Sasuke Uchiha, pleased to meet you.”

Sasuke had been confused by her first statement and then had looked closer. He now realized what had caused Naruto to weave through the dancing crowd so quickly. A Hyuga without their sight was very unusual and had left her to be a true sitting duck.

He took her hand and shook it once, “Nice to meet you, Lady Hinata. I hear Miss Sakura is training to be your handmaiden.”

Hinata nodded, “She is, one with medical training under Lady Tsunde Senju. My father decided that, with my condition, it is needed that I not only have body guards but someone who can care for me if for some reason I sustain any injuries. Do you two already know each other?”

“We do, my lady. We met her when we stopped to train in Cernunnos,” Sasuke answered and Hinata nodded in understanding.

“Granny Tsunde is training you, Miss Sakura?” Naruto asked the girl excitedly but then caught himself, “I mean, Lady Tsunde. She is the only one trusted to heal Sasuke and myself but I guess if she is training you, she’ll be too far away to do that anymore.”

“She did say she would be leaving her current station to train me, but I do believe Shizune will still be there,” Sakura answered after a moment of thought.

Hinata suddenly patted Naruto’s arm is excitement, “I love this piece by Bach, I would like to dance.”

“It’s a bit fast paced, my lady, are you sure?” he asked. 

She nodded, “Just please keep us towards the edge so I am less likely to bump into anyone. We can just do a livelier waltz.”

Naruto nodded, guided her hand back to his shoulder and did as asked. Sasuke and Sakura entered the dancefloor right behind them. Hinata’s handmaiden and the Uchiha acted as a buffer, corralling anyone away from the Lady Hyuga with some well-placed twirls. Sasuke noticed Neji on the sidelines for but a moment before an evil grin lit up the Uchiha’s face and then the Hyuga was gone.

***

Kakashi finally escaped the babbling brunette and was trying to find a way to save Iruka soon, or he knew he’d be a dead man. With his keen eye he found a man bored out of his mind. He paid him to cut in and ask the hair-obsessed woman to dance. She seemed flattered that someone else wanted her attention and didn’t notice the relief taking over Iruka’s face. Iruka gracefully speed-walked to safety.

“For heaven’s sake, do I have any hair left?” the instructor asked as soon as he reached Kakashi’s side.

“That you do, but the ribbon is gone,” the overseer answered with a smirk. “I guess she needed a souvenir.”

“Better that than a kiss,” Iruka grimaced and made a slight gagging noise.

Kakashi chuckled, “I am surprised she didn’t try to sneak one. Poor man, getting kisses from strange women.”

Iruka glared but ignored the comment, “Where are the boys? We are technically permitted to leave now.”

“Looks like they are showing off their more civilized skills,” the older man said motioning to where they spun with their dance partners.

“Is that Lady Hinata?” Iruka exclaimed with wide eyes. “I thought she’d be under the watchful eyes of her cousin all night.”

“Guess not. It seems Sasuke has found Sakura Haruno. Ino did mention she might be here over dinner one night.”

Iruka nodded at the information and then placed a hand a Kakashi’s shoulder, “Shit’s about to hit the fan, Kakashi.”

***

Naruto sensed it and Hinata’s body tensing proved he wasn’t the only one. Her face immediately turned to her feet as they continued to dance.

“We need to leave the dance floor,” she said so quietly most people probably wouldn’t have heard.

Naruto only nodded and then twirled them carefully out of the group of waltzing bodies. With the music coming to end for a moment, it made their departure less unusual and no one seemed to notice. Lady Hinata instantly separated herself from Naruto and begun running her gloved hands down her dress while biting her lip in nervousness. Sasuke and Sakura joined them, both widening their eyes at something behind the blond. As soon as he turned his head it was whipped to one side with a harsh slap across the face.

“How dare you, you piece of demonic refuse, even think of dancing with a Hyuga,” the Uzumaki heard a familiar deep voice say as he felt the surge of demonic energy to pair with the pain and embarrassment that he had to swallow down, his head turning so his red rimmed irises could meet the man. 

Sasuke wasn’t forgotten, he too received a hard smack across the face, the Uchiha’s eyes remaining trained on the floor, as that voice continued, “And you, approaching the Hyuga table like you have a right. Asking my daughter’s handmaiden for a dance like you are some desirable duke.”

Naruto blinked twice, cleared his throat and replied, “Duke Hiashi Hyuga, I apologize if we have overstepped our bounds but Lady Hinata Hyuga was left alone on the dance floor which I was trained to recognize as a severe insult. I went to join her to save her from the embarrassment.”

The pale-eyed man scoffed, “And you think dancing with an obsessed lowlife such as yourself was less of an embarrassment?”

“I was only offering my services, Duke. I didn’t mean any ill will by it.”

The Hyuga glared at the possessed Forsaken and then turned to The Uchiha who had managed to recover, his eyes only having a slight yellow tint, “And you, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“I apologize if you thought I was trying to offend your family but I had met Miss Sakura before this event and noticed where she was sitting. I figured if Lady Hinata needed anyone with her after Lord Neji left, Miss Sakura might be the right decision,” Sasuke answered calmly but Naruto saw his fisted hands shake.

“Met Miss Sakura before?” the Duke repeated and then turned to the girl in question who still had her arm linked with the Uchiha’s. He glared at it before asking, “You have met these two, have you?”

“I have, Duke Hiashi, at the festival in Cernunnos when I visited Ino Yamanaka on my way here,” the rosette girl answered. “They were escorting her to the festival as bodyguards-in-training.” 

***

Kakashi growled as soon as Hiashi’s hand met Naruto’s face and another one escaped with Sasuke receiving the same treatment. Iruka and himself were already on their way over but the venue was crowded around the dancefloor with more people enjoying the livelier music as it got later into the night. By the time they reached the group, Sakura was being questioned. Kakashi let her finish before interrupting the head councilman’s head nod.

“Excuse me, Duke Hiashi Hyuga, but did you not just strike both of trainees?” Kakashi questioned and didn’t hide is aggravation.

“I did. They were acting in a way not suitable for their place in society. My daughter, Lady Hinata, soon to be Duchess when she reaches of age, should not stoop so low to agree to dance with a Possessed. And I will have to train Miss Sakura to do the same when it comes to her choices of dance partner.”

“Ah, Duke, I disagree with you on all counts,” Kakashi replied as he held up a finger and closed his visible eye. “Both Sasuke and Naruto have proven themselves during the first two stages of The Tournaments. Inoichi and his daughter have also commented on how well the boys are trained along with the Nara’s. During the festival, that I believe Miss Sakura mentioned, Ino was protected from a rambunctious group of brutes by these two. Your daughter and Miss Sakura may be in some of the safest hands and they are trained to even fulfill more civilized ventures. Just one example would be saving your daughter from abandonment by Lord Neji Hyuga for simply stepping on his toes.”

“How dare you accuse my nephew of such a thing,” Hiashi growled. “He would never.”

“Father,” Hinata’s small voice broke through, “Neji did leave me in the middle of the dance floor. I admit I did accidently step on his feet a few times but I apologized every time. He became frustrated and just left.”

“Even if that is so,” Hiashi responded turning to his daughter who seemed to try to shrink into the floor, “why would you agree to dance with this?”

Naruto looked at the hand that pointed at him like Hinata had any chance of seeing it and glared. It looked like Hiashi didn’t really care about Hinata’s issue much either. If it anything he seemed to hold it against her like a crime.

“He was polite and didn’t seem threatening, Father. I wouldn’t have been able to free myself from the situation without embarrassing you otherwise. His teammate even made sure to bring Miss Sakura to me,” Hinata defended. “She would have offered an objection if she thought the situation wasn’t good for me,” she added as she began trembling. “I am sorry I disappointed you again, Father.”

He huffed and scowled at the group before turning back to her, “We will discuss this further at home. We are leaving. You have brought enough unwanted attention to the Hyuga and you can’t seem to keep yourself from bringing more.”

Sakura quietly thanked Sasuke for the dance and followed the Duke. Hinata swallowed, straightened herself and did the same, thanking Naruto for his services. Hiashi froze and waited for Hinata to carefully follow his presence before suddenly backhanding her across the face.

“Don’t you ever thank anything like him for anything, do you understand me? He is nothing but filth to you, whether you have divine sight or not. He is the one who should be graveling at your feet, not the other way around.”

Hinata shakily lifted a hand to her reddened cheek, tears escaping her eyelids as Sakura ran to her and asked if she was okay. She could only manage a nod and lowered her head while Sakura kept her arms around her and led her back to the table.

Naruto and Sasuke were both shaking with fury. They were used to being treated like animals, but the Hyuga girl had done absolutely nothing to deserve the treatment that it seemed every male of her clan bestowed on her. They were thankful Sakura was there as a buffer if even only a small one. 

“Sir Kakashi, can we please leave or I may do something we will all regret,” Sasuke hissed out, his eyes currently closed.

Naruto didn’t even try to hide the change in his appearance while his echoing voice agreed, “I would also like to leave.”

***

_“They can’t even treat their own with decency. They are disgusting, foul creatures,”_ Naruto heard the rumbling in the back of his mind as he stood in the shower. _“We would never treat our own young that way, never,”_ it continued.

Naruto was agreeing with The Fox as he angerly washed the gel from his hair. He could tell Sasuke was also having hated conversation with Aoda, his side of the conversation coming through their mind link. Naruto nor Sasuke had been able to calm down the entire ride home. Just to see Hiashi do that without warning was-a snarl escaped his lips at the thought.

“I wish I could have done something, anything,” Naruto chewed out his frustration to The Fox, “but I had to stand there and watch it happen. She literally couldn’t even see it coming to defend herself!”

_“I know kit, I was there with you,”_ The Fox stated.

In their shared room, Sasuke was seated on his bed, his forked tongue flicking out with annoyance. He never realized he now had that talent but it seemed with both Aoda and himself feeling the same emotions he was mirroring the snake more and more. Aoda agreed with him when it came to what happened in the ballroom. The Hyugas were one truly disturbing clan.

Sasuke had been disciplined when within his clan but it was never something that humiliating, that overly public. The punishment always fit the crime and was carried out in private, not before a crowd. To be slapped for something so ridiculous by one’s own father, that was, he couldn’t even find the right word at the moment.

_“Lord Sasuke, we go against the young, male Hyuga the third round, do you not?”_ Aoda hiss tickled the back on his mind.

“We do, but also with another team that will more likely aid his. They are both Empyrean.”

_“We could still get in a few good blows, couldn’t we? I doubt they will allow us to come in any higher than third place, but we could still show him what we think of his behavior.”_

Sasuke chuckled, “Are you wanting to punish him, Aoda?”

_“Is there a problem with that?”_

“None at all. Just find it odd you getting so invested.”

_“That man also struck you, Lord Sasuke. I do not take that lightly. If the only way to return the favor is to strike the younger Hyuga, I will enjoy it.”_

Sasuke nodded in approval and then turned as Naruto entered the room with a towel wrapped around his waist and his tux hung in a garment bag. He didn’t waste a second getting up to clean himself of tonight events.

***

Irritated, angry, furious, none of these words covered everything Kakashi was feeling ever since they arrived back to Iruka’s apartment. His trainees had been physically abused AGAIN right in front of him and he hadn’t been permitted to stop it. Hyugas and all their self-righteousness bullshit. First, they demanded Obito be used as an example, while also removing his eye and forcing Kakashi to carry it in his skull. Then they declared himself Forsaken until he did enough of their dirty work to earn the status of Tainted. He didn’t doubt they were also the ones that ordered the attack that killed Naruto’s parents. 

Kakashi wanted to litter the walls off Iruka’s apartment with holes from his fists. He wanted to break every plate, glass, and knickknack. He wanted to blow every fuse in the skyscraper he inhabited with a well-placed lightning technique. Iruka, he would never do anything like that to Iruka or his things. He tried to calm himself but he was so fucking tired of playing by their rules.

Noticing his partner’s angst, Iruka had offered Kakashi a better way to deal with his stress. One of the gray-haired man’s hands was tangled in Iruka’s brunette locks, his head pushed down into a pillow, while the other was stretching him. He panted against the feel Kakashi’s fingers spreading him, hitting just the right spot. Iruka’s own hands were gripping the sheets as he tried to stifle the sounds daring to escape his mouth.

The boys might be asleep in another room, but it wasn’t too far away and what if his neighbors heard. They were doing something that offered severe punishment if found out, especially with the place Iruka filled in society. He was supposed to be a pure hearted, clean minded individual. Right now, all he could think about was the pleasure coming from the fingers in his ass.

“Kakashi,” he panted as the fingers left him. “Can you put up a sound barrier? Please?” Iruka practically whimpered as the man positioned himself behind him.

Kakashi’s hand left the younger man’s head and he leaned forward to place it upon the wall above the headboard. The soft glow begun to grow throughout the room. Iruka knew the moment the barrier was active, because the hand returned to gripping his hair, the other was on his hips, and then Kakashi plunged in without preamble.

Oh fuck, Iruka felt as good as always and he let him know with a low, rumbling moan. Even if Kakashi knew this wasn’t going to be one of their long, all night sessions, he was going to make sure this man beneath him felt every bit of pleasure he deserved. Thankfully, Iruka didn’t mind rough because that’s all the overseer wanted. Rough. Loud. Sex.

Iruka cried out at the forcefulness of that first thrust and then couldn’t keep his mouth shut with each one following. Kakashi wasn’t being gentle in any sense of the word, not that he expected him too.The hand held his hip with bruising force and suddenly there was a yank on his hair pulling his head up as a growl escaped the overseer’s lips. 

Kakashi couldn’t help but want Iruka closer to him. He wanted to taste his skin, nip at his lean muscles. He wanted to feel him tremble and hear him whine. The wet heat wrapped around his dick was driving him insane with the need for more, always more of this man that had asked for a forbidden, carnal relationship. Kakashi could offer that and go so much further.

When Iruka managed to get himself up on all fours, Kakashi leaned over him, those sharp teeth of his skimming over his shoulder. The instructor shuddered even as the man’s pace picked up. Iruka rocked with him, trying to take him deeper. He heard an appreciative moan come from his tainted lover. He felt the hand leave his head and skim down his back before sliding around waist to touch along his flattened stomach. Iruka always succumbed to Kakashi when he became this tactile, this attentive. 

The brunette felt lips and tongue join the man’s teeth along his skin, and then he was yanked up by his middle. Straddling Kakashi backwards like this always made Iruka moan all the louder, thrust after thrust hitting his sweet spot. One of the brunette’s hands clung to the forearm around his waist, while the other reached back to grip anything and found purchase in his partner’s wild mane.

Iruka's eyes closed, his hips rolling with every movement as he felt himself reaching the edge. Then a hand wrapped around his cock.

“Oh f-fuck, Ka-kakashi,” Iruka gasped. “W-what else do- you want f-from me?”

“Everything,” was the response snarled into his ear as the hand matched pace with the thrusts to his ass. 

Kakashi watched as Iruka came closer and closer to being undone. The sounds from his throat grew desperate, Kakashi licking along his jaw. He felt Iruka begin to shake with every roll of his hips, his breath coming out as forceful gasps. The man’s hands gripping his hair and forearm dug their nails into his skin as Iruka suddenly jerked, and then groaned low, covering Kakashi’s hand with a hot, white mess of cum.

Kakashi thrusted through the other man’s organism, milking it while throwing himself over the edge like a suicidal man. He hid his face in Iruka’s neck as he used the hold on Iruka’s waist the slam him down as the forced his own hips up. His own organism exploded, so utterly satisfying it numbed the shit that had been going through his brain. 

Damn, he owed Iruka so much for this. This man didn’t need to do this for him, didn’t need to be his stress ball but was willing. He was willing even when everything was working against them. All Iruka asked was it to be him, for him to be the object of Kakashi’s affections and he’d do anything. 

Another rumble escaped Kakashi’s throat as Iruka pulled away only to collapse onto the bed. They cleaned each other up the best they could without using the bathroom. Tomorrow was going to be a tense day and they needed their rest to get through it.

***

The following day was a serious affair. Naruto and Sasuke had to prepare for the final round of The Tournaments. They were going through their weapons, checking storage seals, and talking to their fellow demons to discuss tactics. Kakashi nor Iruka mentioned their hostile appearances sure that they were carrying on conversations they couldn’t hear.

Sasuke knew he couldn’t use Aoda during their fight. No one else knew he was now possessed and that was not to change. He still wanted the snake’s input. He was living in his body as much as its owner and he didn’t know if anything he were to do would affect Aoda’s existence. The serpent assured him he would be fine no matter what happened, if anything he made it Sasuke hardier.

The sound of him sharpening his Katana was interrupted by Kakashi clearing his throat, “I need to discuss tomorrow with you two.”

Naruto and Sasuke looked up, their animalistic eyes taking in Kakashi’s serious expression. He wore neither his eye patch or mask and as he opened his mouth to address them further, he stopped, his sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight coming through the windows. He took another deep breath and tried to begin again.

“You can not win this round. They won’t let you. They will find ways to take you out first. They will cheat and use every underhanded tactic they know. I don’t want you to even try to win. I want you to fight, I really do, but when things get too heated you need to bow out.”

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks, and then Sasuke spoke, “Bow out? Wave the white flag and all that?”

“Yes, I have taught Naruto how to erect a strong enough barrier to defend you against almost anything. He will provide cover for you both before they try to kill you off,” the overseer continued. “Sasuke, we can’t risk you shifting and Naruto can’t shift any farther than his form right now. If you fight to win, you will push yourselves to a point where you risk them finding out everything before we are ready. There will be no hiding places in that arena, thousands of eyes will be watching you and you can’t make all of them blind.”

“But,” Naruto started, “but what is the point then? If we can’t fight to win, aren’t we just submitting to them again?”

“No. You will make them fear you but it will be four against two. Those two Sanctified teams will attack your team with the purpose to destroy you. I want you to make them question if the pain and injuries are worth it. Use your strongest attacks off the bat, don’t give them a chance to breathe. Make them have to do things that are questionable. Let the crowd see things from them they were never meant to and then seal yourselves within the barrier as a way of surrender,” Kakashi instructed.

“So, we push them to cheating to protect themselves, that is what you are saying?” Sasuke questioned.

“Yes, and you don’t have to worry about exhausting yourselves because you don’t plan on lasting till the end. Do you understand?”

They nodded and then Iruka spoke up, “According to the rules no poisons are permitted. No more than two weapons per person and absolutely no performance enhancing drugs are allowed including food pills. No barriers of any kind and no summons. Because of these things they will take away your storage seals and check your weapons for hidden ones. Those same people will try to mess with the seals on the back of your necks to try to weaken you. Never let them see your back.”

“Basically, everyone will be an enemy is what you are saying,” Sasuke stated.

***

That night, after a filling dinner Iruka had ordered, the boys silently got ready for bed, their minds still whirling with thoughts. They entered their beds and tossed and turned until Aoda and The Fox took it upon themselves to send them into a dream-filled sleep. It would give their bodies time to rest but allow them to still work through their thoughts. The teammates had no idea what the demons were capable of together.

Sasuke opened his eyes to a world he only knew of from the descriptions Naruto had given him. The blond had called it Enda, dark and shadowy yet full of glowing, bright colors, like the neons in the signs within the shopping district. The scents that entered his nose were as recognizable and as mysterious as his friend has described. He now understood. Enda was what night used to be before the balance was tipped.

When he turned Aoda was behind him, his head swaying side to side lazily, _“Lord Sasuke, this is our home. Come, let me show it you.”_

Sasuke followed feeling the warmth of the ground beneath his bare feet, only his lounge pants he went to sleep in upon his body. They were everywhere, demons and ghosts of half-breeds like himself. It wasn’t violent or a total bloodbath like they were taught. But he did smell it, the blood.

_“We would share it amongst each other,”_ Aoda answered his thoughts. _“It’s a way we bond, tasting one another’s blood but never without permission. If one ever did take without it being given first, it would be the same as rape in your culture and they would die.”_

Sasuke looked up at the gigantic serpent, Aoda had told him some things but he had never entered one of these dreams. He didn’t understand why the demon had waited, it was different kind of beautiful here. Sasuke didn’t feel angry or anxious, just a calmness that seemed to make him aware of every movement, sound, and smell. He ended up climbing unto Aoda’s back as they continued farther into the landscape.

_“They are here,”_ the snake announced with a note of happiness. _“Look Sasuke, under the great Plumeria.”_

Sasuke looked in the direction Aoda’s great head faced and under a tree that emitted light from its own sunset of gleaming blooms sat a huge fox and a scarlet-eyed blond. The Uchiha stared amazed. This was a dream world inside his head wasn’t it? Sure, his demon had supplied the environment but how could they be here. 

As they grew closer Naruto broke out into a large grin and The Fox seemed to become every bit as chilling as the Uzumaki described. The long, razor sharp teeth that passed his lips, the alarming red eyes, the bulk of muscle that rippled under his burnt orange fur, this was the king of demons. As the massive vulpine head turned Sasuke heard the rumble of approval emanating from him and Naruto stood.

“Aoda! You brought him here! What took you so long?”

_“Master Naruto, we had to fully harmonize first. Unlike you and the Demon Lord, Sasuke’s mind need to resonate with my presence,”_ Aoda explained.

Oh yeah,” Naruto replied rubbing the back of his neck. “I forget because I didn’t have to go through that stuff, well, I mean, I don’t remember going through that stuff.”

“Wait, how is this possible? It’s my dream isn’t it?” Sasuke asked dumbfounded by this turn of events.

_“Not exactly,”_ The Fox answered, his deep, almost thundering voice replied. _“When you and the kit enter REM sleep, you mind is open to other layers of the world around you. This world does exist, it is not a dream, but things that happen here do not affect your physical body or the physical world in which you live.”_

Naruto nodded, “Like if I eat something amazing from here like the fruit from one of the trees, I will still wake up hungry. It sucks but The Fox told me I am still feeding a part of me that, as just a half-breed would have remained dormant. Then The Fox and I became fully aware of each other and so his demonic presence opened the door for me to get here.”

“So, visiting this place should be an ability for all half-breeds?” Sasuke asked perplexed.

_“Only those who except themselves, Lord Sasuke,"_ Aoda supplied. _"Even then, their demon blood must be strong which isn’t usually the case since the divine half-breeds have been trying to dilute your blood since you existed. Being possessed in the way that you two are allows us to fill that gap.”_

“Sasuke, this is what the Empyreans have been trying to keep from us. Here we can meet and be with others without their influence. They know this place exists,” were the words that came from Naruto’s mouth that caused Sasuke’s known reality to shift and align to something that made perfect sense. “Night used to be our meeting place, our world, and they thought they took it from us. They were wrong. They can never own this.”


End file.
